Electrospinning-based PCL fibre coatings on metallic meshes for biomimetic surface engineering
 
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AGH University of Krakow, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, Department of Biomaterials and Composites, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2026-03-13
 
 
Acceptance date: 2026-04-21
 
 
Publication date: 2026-04-24
 
 
Corresponding author
Bartłomiej Boruchowski   

bborucho@agh.edu.pl
 
 
Engineering of Biomaterials 2026;(174):07
 
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ABSTRACT
Electrospinning represents a versatile technique for the fabrication of micro– and nanofibrous structures that mimic the architecture of biological tissues. In this study, electro- spinning was employed as a surface engineering method to functionalize metallic mesh substrates intended for potential biomaterial surface engineering applications. Steel meshes with varying geometries and opening sizes were coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) fibres using three solution variants: pure PCL, PCL modified with Tween 80 surfactant, and a hybrid system combining both fibre types. The influence of surfactant incorporation on fibre morphology, wettability, and surface energy was investigated. Microscopic observations confirmed the formation of continuous fibrous coatings across all mesh geometries, despite local variations in fibre density arising from substrate conductivity and electrostatic deposition effects. The addition of Tween 80 enabled a controlled transition from hydrophobic to superhydrophilic surface behaviour, while the hybrid coating exhibited heterogeneous wettability characteristics. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the fibrous coatings preserved structural continuity under large deformations exceeding 100% elongation. The deformation behaviour was governed by fibre reorientation and network adaptation rather than coating failure, indicating favourable mechanical compatibility be- tween the fibrous layer and the metallic substrate. These results demonstrate that electrospinning can be effectively applied to fabricate mechanically stable fibrous coatings with tunable surface properties on metallic mesh structures.
eISSN:3071-7825
ISSN:1429-7248
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