The process of incorporating water-soluble eggshell membrane (S-ESM) into polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun nanofibers was investigated using the interaction between S-ESM and catechin. Electrospinning of the nontoxic natural catechin with PCL was examined, and S-ESM was introduced into the resulting PCL/catechin nanofibers through hydrogen bonding. S-ESM was added into PCL/catechin electrospun fibers by immersing the as-spun fibers in an S-ESM solution that was prepared by dissolving S-ESM powder in water with a dimethylformamide cosolvent. Morphological observation suggested that S-ESM was incorporated with catechin and formed S-ESM/catechin nanoparticles, distributed in the nanofiber webs. Analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that hydrogen bonding interactions were generated between PCL and catechin as well as between S-ESM and catechin. Water contact angle tests suggested that the presence of S-ESM/catechin improved the wettability of PCL nanofiber webs. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012