Development and Characterization of a Curcumin-Loaded PEI Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoplatform for Potential Wound Healing Applications

Wound infections remain a major challenge due to prolonged inflammation and delayed tissue regeneration. Curcumin (Cur) is a promising therapeutic agent  because of its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, but its clinical application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low stability. In this work, polyethyleneimine-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO-PEI) was investigated as a nanoplatform for Cur loading. Cur stability was first evaluated to establish suitable loading conditions. Loading in PBS/DMSO/Tween 80 (pH 4.5) achieved a loading efficiency of 30.2 ± 5.1%, corresponding to approximately 0.55 mg Cur per mg rGO-PEI. FTIR and TGA analyses showed only subtle changes after loading, suggesting predominantly noncovalent interactions. In contrast, the zeta potential decreased from +31.7 to +18.2 mV (free Cur: −18.3 mV), indicating surface modifications consistent with Cur incorporation. These findings support rGO-PEI as a promising carrier for Cur delivery in wound healing applications.