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In this study, we developed a bilayer membrane by electrospinning polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers onto a solvent-cast polyvinyl alcohol\/sodium alginate (PVS) membrane. The dense PVS layer provided a smooth, crack-free surface with favorable physicochemical and thermal stability. In contrast, the PCL nanofibrous layer (232 \u00b1 44\u2009nm) exhibited a continuous, bead-free, and highly aligned morphology. Comprehensive characterization confirmed the structural integrity of the bilayer scaffold, which showed two distinct thermal transitions (~65 \u00b0C for PCL and ~225 \u00b0C for PVS), confirming good stability and minimal interfacial disruption. Functionally, the PCL\u2013PVS bilayer scaffold demonstrated an intermediate contact angle (57.44\u00b0), high water uptake capacity (424.44%), and a high gel fraction (96.12%), along with controlled biodegradation (39.65%), highlighting its suitability for physiological environments. Mechanical testing revealed a Young\u2019s modulus of 2.60 \u00b1 0.20 megapascals (MPa), an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 5.74 \u00b1 0.02 MPa, and an elongation at break of 3.32 \u00b1 0.10%, values well aligned with the mechanical demands of corneal tissue. Additionally, the construct achieved 85.01% light transmittance, essential for visual clarity, and supported measurable cell viability, although additional optimization is required to further enhance cytocompatibility. These findings demonstrate that the bilayer combines structural stability, favorable physicochemical performance, transparency, and biological compatibility, positioning it as a promising platform for further optimization toward CSE.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18151928","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T08:08:02Z","timestamp":1786003682000},"page":"1928","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bilayer Scaffold for Corneal Stromal Engineering: Solvent-Cast Polyvinyl Alcohol\/Sodium Alginate and Electrospun Aligned Polycaprolactone Fibers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8572-0992","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amin","family":"Orash Mahmoudsalehi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry and Nanotechnology, School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-1855-0367","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kevin Stalin Catzim","family":"Rios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry and Nanotechnology, School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5001-0093","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos Enrique","family":"Guerrero-Beltr\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8536-158X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wendy","family":"Ortega-Lara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry and Nanotechnology, School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jaffet, J., Pingali, T., Raut, A.K., Mohapatra, S., and Singh, V. 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