| Summary: | Cotton gauze wound dressings used in wound management have been found incapable of maintaining an optimal environment for wound healing. To address this issue, non-thermal nitrogen plasma treatment was applied to gauze wound dressings using a radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) system. This research investigates the effects of different radio frequency (RF) power levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 W) during plasma treatment to identify the optimal RF power for enhancing the functionality of gauze as wound dressings, as determined by the fabric’s surface properties. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to study the morphology and chemical bonds of untreated and nitrogen plasma-treated samples, respectively. The FESEM images showed a grooved fiber structure with micro-cracks on all treated surfaces. The most pronounced micro-cracks were observed on samples treated with RF power levels of 50 W, 60 W, and 70 W. The FTIR spectra indicated an increase in the intensity of O-H and C-O functional groups in plasma-treated samples compared to untreated ones. Sample treated at 70 W RF power exhibited the highest intensity of C-N and N-H functional groups. These functional groups contribute to increased cell adhesion potential, wettability, and biocompatibility of the fabric. This study demonstrates that the effect of RF power during nitrogen plasma treatment can modify the surface properties of gauze, potentially increasing its function as wound dressing. © 2024 Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.
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