Table 4 Summary of some of the most relevant works classified by applications, indicating the polymer precursors and the loaded active agents for the electrospun nanofibers fabrication

Antibacterial agent

Polymeric precursor

Antibacterial tests

Ag NPs (from AgNO₃ reduction)

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/cyclodextrin

L. plantarum, 2012 [88]

Ag NPs (from aqueous solution)

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)

S. aureus and E. coli, 2010 [107]; 2011 [120]

Ag NPs (by seed mediate growth method)

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)

S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli, 2011 [121]

Ag NPs (in ethanol solution)

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)

S. aureus and K. pneumoniae, 2010 [122]

Ag NPs (from AgNO₃ reduction)

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan

E. coli, 2012 [126]

Ag NPs (from AgNO₃ reduction)

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/regenerated silk fibroin

S. aureus and E. coli, 2011 [127]

Ag NPs (from AgNO₃ reduction)

Poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)

Not tested, 2005, 2003 [123]; [124]. E. coli, 2012 [129]

Ag NPs (from AgNO₃ reduction)

Nylon 6

B. cereus and E. coli, 2011 [125]

Quaternary ammonium salts

Diblock copolymers with polyacrylates

S. aureus and E. coli, 2008 [139]

Triclosan

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), cyclodextrin

S. aureus and E. coli, 2013 [140]

Chlorhexidine

Cellulose acetate

E. coli and S. epidermidis, 2008 [138]

Active agent

Polymeric precursor

Application

Mupirocin (antibiotic)

Poly-l-lactic acid

Drug release, 2008 [134]

Tetracycline hydrochloride (antibiotic)

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (PEVA); poly(l-lactid-co-ε-caprolactone)

Drug release, 2002 [132], 2009 [136]

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics

Poly(l-lactide-co-d,l-lactide) and coPLA/poly(ethylene glycol)

Drug release, 2012 [133]

Ampicillin (antibiotic)

Poly(methyl methacrylate)-nylon 6

Drug release, 2013 [135]

Gentamycin sulfate (antibiotic)

Polycaprolactone

Drug release, 2006 [137]

Iodines

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)

Wound dressing, 2007 [143]

Ag NPs

Gelatin; poly(vinyl alcohol)

Wound dressing mats, 2007, 2008 [144, 145]

CoS NPs; Ag₃PO₄

Poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)

Water treatment, photocatalyst, 2013, [114, 146]

CdO, ZnO, TiO₂ (photocatalytic)

Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Water treatment, 2012 [147], 2010 [148]

Collagen; Cell adhesive peptides

Poly(L-lactic acid)-co-poly(ε-caprolactone); poly(b,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)

Tissue engineering, 2006 [149], 2005 [150]

Hydroxyapatite, PLGA

Poly-l-lactic acid; PLGA

Tendons/ligaments/bones tissue engineering, 2006 [152], 2007 [153]

Boronic acid NPs

Polyamide 6

Flame retardant, 2012 [116], 2014 [157]