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Polymers
Volume 18
Issue 1
10.3390/polym18010015
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

by
Elizabeth Ortiz-Maldonado
1,
Eduardo San Martin-Martínez
2,
Ningel Omar Gama-Castañeda
2,
Marquidia Pacheco
3,
Ulises Figueroa-López
4,
Andrea Guevara-Morales
4,
Esmeralda Juárez
5,
Andy Ruiz
5 and
Horacio Vieyra
1,*
1
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Eduardo Monroy Cárdenas 2000, San Antonio Buenavista, Toluca de Lerdo 50110, Mexico
2
Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Legaria 694, Colonia Irrigación, Ciudad de México 11500, Mexico
3
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México Toluca, Ocoyoacac 52750, Mexico
4
Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Carretera Lago de Guadalupe Km 3.5, Colonia Margarita Maza de Juárez, Atizapán de Zaragoza 52926, Mexico
5
Laboratorio de Alta Contención Biológica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas, Calz. de Tlalpan 4502, Sección XVI, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010015 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 November 2025 / Revised: 13 December 2025 / Accepted: 17 December 2025 / Published: 21 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Polymer Applications)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The development of membranes and patches for controlled drug release to enhance therapeutic efficacy is a promising approach to addressing the challenge posed by poor adherence to pharmacological therapies for chronic diseases. In this study, we designed an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous membrane reinforced with different concentrations (0.04%, 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.2%) of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) intended for biomedical applications, such as transdermal devices. We characterized the resulting composites using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to evaluate their morphology, chemical composition, and mechanical properties. We also measured their cytotoxicity upon contact with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The nanofibers had diameters below 100 nm and inclusions of microspheres, which were attributed to the electrospinning expansion phenomenon. Spectroscopic and mechanical analyses confirmed molecular interactions between the PCL matrix and the f-MWCNTs. Finally, biological tests demonstrated that both the dispersion of f-MWCNTs and the nanofiber sizing render the membranes biocompatible, supporting their potential use as drug-delivery systems.
Keywords: polycaprolactone; carbon nanotubes; electrospinning; membranes; biomedical membranes polycaprolactone; carbon nanotubes; electrospinning; membranes; biomedical membranes

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ortiz-Maldonado, E.; San Martin-Martínez, E.; Gama-Castañeda, N.O.; Pacheco, M.; Figueroa-López, U.; Guevara-Morales, A.; Juárez, E.; Ruiz, A.; Vieyra, H. Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems. Polymers 2026, 18, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010015

AMA Style

Ortiz-Maldonado E, San Martin-Martínez E, Gama-Castañeda NO, Pacheco M, Figueroa-López U, Guevara-Morales A, Juárez E, Ruiz A, Vieyra H. Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems. Polymers. 2026; 18(1):15. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010015

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ortiz-Maldonado, Elizabeth, Eduardo San Martin-Martínez, Ningel Omar Gama-Castañeda, Marquidia Pacheco, Ulises Figueroa-López, Andrea Guevara-Morales, Esmeralda Juárez, Andy Ruiz, and Horacio Vieyra. 2026. "Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems" Polymers 18, no. 1: 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010015

APA Style

Ortiz-Maldonado, E., San Martin-Martínez, E., Gama-Castañeda, N. O., Pacheco, M., Figueroa-López, U., Guevara-Morales, A., Juárez, E., Ruiz, A., & Vieyra, H. (2026). Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems. Polymers, 18(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010015

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