Excellent Antibacterial Properties Research Articles

Two-dimensional MXene Nanosheets and their Composites for Antibacterial Textiles: Current Trends and Future Prospects

Abstract: As a novel two-dimensional (2D) nanosheet (NS), MXene has attracted attention in antibacterial applications due to its excellent high surface area, remarkable hydrophilicity, strong flexibility, and excellent antibacterial properties. This review intends to provide valuable insight into the further development of antibacterial MXenes and their composite materials. In this paper, we review the antibacterial mechanisms of MXenes and their composite materials and summarize the research progress of antibacterial finishing fabrics, fibers and dressings based on MXene NSs. Due to the rich oxygen-containing groups, 2D MXene NSs and its composites exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis so they have been widely used in antibacterial textiles including finishing fabrics, fibers, and dressings. 2D MXene NSs have showed some antibacterial properties based on cell experiments or blood tests. The antibacterial mechanisms mainly include physical sterilization and chemical oxidative stress sterilization. The future direction of antibacterial textiles based on MXenes was proposed.

Synthesis of Mesoporous Catechin Nanoparticles as Biocompatible Drug-Free Antibacterial Mesoformulation.

While polyphenolic substances stand as excellent antibacterial agents, their antimicrobial properties rely on the auxiliary support of micro-/nanostructures. Despite offering a novel avenue for enhancing polymer performance, controllable fabrication of mesoporous polymeric nanomaterials encounters significant challenges due to intricate intermolecular forces. In this article, mesoporous catechin nanoparticles have been successfully fabricated using a balanced multivariate interaction approach. The harmonization of the water-ethanol ratio and ionic strength effectively balances the forces of hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking, facilitating the controlled assembly of mesostructures. The mesoporous catechin nanoparticles exhibit a uniform spherical structure (∼100 nm), open mesopores with a diameter of ∼15 nm, and a high surface area of ∼106 m2 g-1. While exhibiting a good biocompatibility and negative surface charge, the mesoporous catechins possess outstanding antibacterial ability and function as an antibiotic mesoformulation without the necessity of loading any drugs. This mesoformulation inhibits 50% in vitro Staphylococcus aureus growth with a low concentration of ∼10 μg mL-1 and achieves complete inhibition at ∼25 μg mL-1. In a mouse wound model, accelerated wound healing and complete closure within 6-8 days are achieved. Proteomics of bacteria reveals that the excellent antibacterial property is attributed to the synergetic effect of mesoformulation's mesostructure and the catechin molecule intervening in bacterial metabolism. Overall, this work may pave a novel way for the future exploration of polymer nanomaterials and antibiotic formulations.

Green and safe preparation of antibacterial sutures composed of PLA ultrafine fibers

AbstractThe electrospun yarn for sutures has gained worldwide attention due to its fine fibers that resemble the extracellular matrix and its abundant functional sites. However, the use of a large number of toxic solvents poses safety risks and environmental pollution during production, making it challenging to directly apply electrospun yarn in the biomedical field. In this study, an environmentally friendly and safe method without toxic solvents was proposed for preparing antibacterial PLA ultrafine fiber sutures. This method involves melt electrospinning, hot‐stretching, low‐temperature plasma treatment, and chitosan grafting. The PLA ultrafine fiber sutures exhibit a high tensile strength which is 2.04 N before knotting and 1.57 N after knotting. The suture diameter is 118.7 μm and average fiber diameter is 1.72 μm. Chitosan grafted on the fiber surface provides excellent antibacterial properties for the sutures, with antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reaching 99.89% and 99.11%, respectively. The cell survival rate is 97.33%, while hemolysis rate is only 2.35%, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility of PLA ultrafine fiber sutures. This study presents a green and safe method for preparing clinically applicable absorbable antibacterial surgical sutures with high mechanical properties.Highlights A green and safe method for preparing PLA‐CS ultrafine fiber sutures. PLA‐CS suture with a tensile strength of 2.04 N and a fiber diameter of 1.72 μm. PLA‐CS suture with good antibacterial property and biocompatibility.

Preparation of injectable self-healing hydrogels using carboxymethyl chitosan and oxidized dextran with incorporating quercetin-loaded PF127 micelles for wound healing

Rapid achievement of the irregularly shaped post-wound closure is closely related to the effectiveness of clinical hydrogel-based wound dressings to inhibit microbial invasion and promote wound healing. Herein, an injectable and self-healing hydrogel with rapid gelation was engineered based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and oxidized dextran (Odex). The hydrophobic drug, quercetin, with antioxidant and antibacterial effects, was loaded in the PF127 micelles with an encapsulation efficiency of 59.06 %, and then quercetin-loaded PF127 micelles were ingeniously incorporated into the hydrogels. The prepared composite hydrogels not only showed a stable and sustained release behavior of quercetin, but also possessed excellent antioxidant activities and antibacterial properties against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Moreover, the composite hydrogels with microstructure (150–250 μm) also exhibited self-healing and injectable properties. In addition, the survival rates of NIH 3T3 cells when cultured with hydrogel extract were all over 80 %, illustrating the excellent biocompatibility of hydrogels. Therefore, our prepared multifunctional composite hydrogels showed a broad prospect as wound dressings for treating acute skin injuries.

Protein-tannin interactions towards fabricating flame-retardant, UV-resistance, antibacterial and mechanical-reinforced PA66 fabric

The “Protein-polyphenol interactions” is a hot research topic in the field of interaction between biological macromolecules. Strong interactions between biomass polyphenolic tannins and proteins can be generated through covalent and non-covalent bonds. Inspired by this, keratin (Ker) and oxidized tannin (TA) was co-deposited on polyamide 66 (PA66) fabric to fabricate OTA/Ker coated PA66 fabric (PA66@OTA/Ker), which was then chelated with Fe3+ to prepare fire resistance and anti-dripping PA66 fabric (PA66@OTA/Ker@Fe). The results showed that the total heat release rate (THR), peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total smoke production (TSP) of PA66@OTA/Ker@Fe were reduced by 51 %, 57 % and 52 %, respectively. PA66@OTA/Ker@Fe had a residue char of 21.6 % at 800 °C under N2 atmosphere. In addition, the LOI of PA66@OTA/Ker@Fe increased from 20.5 % of the control sample to 28.5 % and reached a UL-94 V-0 rating. Besides, PA66@OTA/Ker@Fe exhibited excellent UV resistance, good mechanical and anti-bacterial properties. This work provides an eco-friendly strategy for developing multifunctional PA66 fabrics.

A triple-mode strategy combining low-temperature photothermal, photodynamic, and chemodynamic therapies for treating infectious skin wounds.

The skin is the first natural barrier of the human body. Bacterial infections severely hinder the healing process of skin wounds and pose a great threat to human health. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to develop new antimicrobial strategies for bacterial pathogen clearance and wound healing. In this study, a metal-organic framework (MOF), Fe-MIL88B-NH2, was incorporated with the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) to construct composite nanoparticles (MOF@ICG NPs) with multiple antibacterial activities. Under mild near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the photosensitizer ICG in the MOF@ICG NPs undergoes photothermal conversion (∼45 °C) and photodynamic reactions to generate heat and singlet oxygen (1O2). In addition, the Fenton reaction of the NPs with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the bacterial infection microenvironment resulted in the generation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH), thus achieving the three-mode combination of low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT)/photodynamic therapy (PDT)/chemodynamic therapy (CDT). The in vitro experimental results showed that MOF@ICG MPs had excellent antibacterial properties and good cytocompatibility, with some ability to promote the migration of L-929 fibroblasts. Furthermore, under NIR irradiation, MOF@ICG NPs could significantly kill bacteria and promote skin wound healing according to the results of animal experiments. The wound healing rate reached 87.1% after 7 days of treatment. The research results break through the limitations of single-mode antibacterial technology and provide certain theoretical guidance and technical support for the research and development of new antibacterial materials.

Recent advances in biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces: focusing on abrasion resistance, self-healing and anti-icing.

Superhydrophobic materials have been widely used in the fields of materials engineering and the coating industry due to their excellent abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, anti-icing and antibacterial properties and have also attracted the attention of many researchers. However, in the process of application, their superhydrophobic surface is susceptible to external factors such as physical or chemical effects, resulting in the loss of low surface energy materials or the destruction of micro- and nano-rough structures, thus losing their superhydrophobic properties. This review describes the research progress in three aspects of superhydrophobic surfaces: abrasion resistance, self-healing, and anti-icing. Firstly, the definition and application of superhydrophobic surfaces, as well as the basic principle and mechanism of superhydrophobic surfaces are introduced. Then, the research status and improvement methods of superhydrophobic surfaces are presented in detail from three aspects, such as abrasion resistance, self-healing, and anti-icing. Finally, the research process of superhydrophobic surfaces is evaluated and prospected in order to provide a new perspective for the preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces with a wide range of applications and better performance.

Construction of Patterned Cu2O Photonic Crystals on Textile Substrates for Environmental Dyeing with Excellent Antibacterial Properties

Construction of Patterned Cu2O Photonic Crystals on Textile Substrates for Environmental Dyeing with Excellent Antibacterial Properties

The recent progress of bone regeneration materials containing EGCG.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most effective active ingredient in tea polyphenols and belongs to the category of catechins. EGCG has excellent antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory, osteogenesis-promoting, and antibacterial properties, and has been widely studied in orthopedic diseases such as osteoporosis. To reach the lesion site, achieve sustained release, promote osteogenesis, regulate macrophage polarization, and improve the physical properties of materials, EGCG needs to be cross-linked or incorporated in bone regeneration materials. This article reviews the application of bone regeneration materials combined with EGCG, including natural polymer bone regeneration materials, synthetic polymer bone regeneration materials, bioceramic bone regeneration materials, metal bone regeneration materials, hydrogel bone regeneration materials and metal-EGCG networks. In addition, the fabrication methods for the regenerated scaffolds are also elaborated in the text. To sum up, it reveals the excellent development potential of materials containing EGCG and the shortcomings of current research, which will provide important reference for the future exploration of bone regeneration materials containing EGCG.

Photothermal and Antibacterial PDA@Ag/SerMA Microneedles for Promoting Diabetic Wound Repair.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common and severe complication of diabetes characterized by wound neuropathy, ischemia, and susceptibility to infection, making its treatment difficult. Dressings are commonly used in treating diabetic wounds; however, they have disadvantages, including lack of flexibility and mechanical strength, lack of coagulation activity, resistance to biodegradation, and low drug delivery efficiency. Developing more effective strategies for diabetic wound treatment has become a new focus. Microneedles (MN) can be used as a drug delivery platform for DFU wounds, allowing safe, effective, painless and minimally invasive medication administration through the skin. Herein, PDA@Ag/SerMA microneedles were prepared by combining the photothermal properties of polydopamine (PDA), the antimicrobial properties of argentum (Ag), and the ability of sericin methacryloyl (SerMA) to promote cell mitosis to accelerate wound healing and treat diabetic ulcer wounds. The results revealed that PDA@Ag/SerMA microneedles exhibited approximately 100% antimicrobial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Furthermore, the wound healing rate of mice reached 95% within 12 days, which demonstrated the excellent antibacterial properties and wound healing efficacy of PDA@Ag/SerMA microneedles at cellular and animal levels, providing a potential solution for treating DFU.

Studies on the Preparation of a Microemulsion Formulation of Matricaria Recutita Essential Oil and the Treatment of 2,4-Dinitro-Chlorobenzene- Induced Eczema in Mice by Inhibiting Inflammation.

Eczema, an inflammatory skin disease causing intense itching, is a function of a range of internal and external factors, impacting individuals of all ages and leading to economic loss. Inflammation is the most important manifestation of eczema, and Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO) extracted from Matricaria recutita possesses excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, Matricaria recutita microemulsions were prepared by the trans-phase emulsification method and their stability was determined by evaluating the relevant indexes. Establishment of 2,4-dinitro-chlorobenzene-induced AD model in mice. Detection of serum indexes of IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α, and on pathological tissue sections, the HE staining, toluidine blue staining, immunohistochemistry, and observation were performed. The study obtained optimal conditions for the preparation of microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita. Through quality evaluation, it was found that the microemulsion increased stability, reduced irritation, and retained anti-inflammatory activity and therapeutic effects on eczema compared to Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO). Studies have demonstrated that microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita and Matricaria recutita significantly down regulate the proinflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-6. It was shown by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining that both Matricaria recutita essential oil (MREO) and Matricaria recutita microemulsion (MRME) improved the inflammatory status of eczematous skin tissues in mice. The number of mast cells expressed in the tissues was decreased in the surface-treated group, as shown by toluidine blue staining. Additionally, the number of mast cells expressed in the tissues in the surface-treated group was reduced, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed that MREO and MRME have immunomodulatory effects on the tissues. The study showed that microemulsion formulations of Matricaria recutita may serve as a novel remedy for eczema.

Capability lignin from Acacia crassicarpa black liquor as an environmentally benign antibacterial agent to produce antibacterial and hydrophobic textiles

Recently, the growing health awareness of society on the utilization of fabrics has led to an increasing demand for natural-based antibacterial textiles. Lignin, a generous polyphenol compound in nature, is capable of preventing bacterial growth; in particular, it dwells bacteria closely together on human skin, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus aureus. However, the antibacterial properties of lignin are limited by factors such as the lignin concentration, source, and type of bacteria. This study aimed to evaluate the potency of lignin as an antibacterial agent for textiles. Moreover, the thermal properties and wettability of the textile after lignin coating were also investigated. This study showed that lignin isolation methods significantly contributed to the inhibition of bacterial growth in the clear zone diameter. In addition, the lignin structure, lignin concentration, and type of bacteria had notably different antibacterial effects. SEM images showed that lignin was successfully coated on the fiber, and the antibacterial textile was successfully fabricated with clear zones in the range of 0.1–0.5 cm against four different bacteria. Lignin did not significantly improve the thermal stability of the textile, as proven by the TGA results. After the HDTMS coating by dispersion method, the wettability of the lignin-textile improved to that of the hydrophobic material, with a contact angle greater than 119.05° with excellent antibacterial properties (clear zone of 0.1–0.43 cm).

Amoxicillin-laded sodium alginate/cellulose nanocrystals/polyvinyl alcohol composite nanonetwork sponges with enhanced wound healing and antibacterial performance

Wound healing is a complex process and reuires a long repair process. Poor healing effect is normally a challenge for wound healing. Designing sponge dressings with drug-assisted therapy, good breathability, and multiple functional structures effectively promotes wound healing. In this work, a flexible amoxicillin-laded (AMX) sodium alginate (SA)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNCS)/ polyvinyl alcoho (PVA) (SA/CNCS/PVA-AMX, SCP-AMX) wound dressing was designed and built with an excellent porous structure, suitable porosity, and anti-bacterial properties for promoting wound tissue reparation. The porous structure of the wound dressing was fabricated by freeze-thawing cyclic and freeze-dried molding process. This wound dressing exhibited a 3D porous structure for soft-tissue-engineering application, including high porosity (84.2 %), swelling ratio (1513 %), tensile strength (1.79 MPA), and flexibility. With the inhibition zones of Escherichia Coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus Aureus (S, Aureus) being 1.96 and4.58 cm, respectively, this wound dressing demonstrated good antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. More importantly, wound healing Assay in vivo indicates that SCP-AMX could inhibit wound infection, promote collagen deposition, reduce inflammation, and accelerate granulation tissue and wound healing. Thus, the reported wounding dressings present excellent biocompatibility, high antibacterial activities, and excellent biosafety with great potential in wound healing applications.

Hyaluronic acid methacryloyl/chitosan methacryloyl/3-methacrylamidophenylboronic acid multifunctional hydrogel loading exosome for diabetic wound healing

The management of diabetic wounds presents a formidable challenge in clinical settings due to elevated glucose levels, drug-resistant bacterial infections, and a deficiency of bioactive molecules in the microenvironment. To address this challenge, a glucose-responsive Hyaluronic acid Methacryloyl (HAMA)-Chitosan Methacryloyl (CSMA)-3-Methacrylamidophenylboronic acid (MPBA) loading Exosome (H-C-M@Exo) multifunctional hydrogel has been developed to enhance diabetic wound healing in this study. The H-C-M@Exo hydrogel exhibits remarkable features, including high hydrophilicity, excellent pressure resistance, antibacterial properties, and good biocompatibility. It uniquely possesses the ability to sustain the release of exosomes in response to glucose fluctuations. The H-C-M@Exo hydrogel can effectively reduce inflammation, significantly promote rapid re-epithelization, facilitate favorable collagen deposition, and stimulate abundant angiogenesis at the wound sites. Furthermore, the hydrogel induces localized regulation of M2 macrophage polarization, synergistically promoting diabetic angiogenesis and wound healing. These findings suggest H-C-M@Exo hydrogel is a promising biomaterial for the treatment of chronic diabetic wounds.

A system with efficient flame retardant and antibacterial properties for the development of exceptional durable functional cotton fabrics

Phosphorus-based flame retardants are widely employed in the study of flame retardancy for cotton fabrics due to their halogen-free nature and high efficiency. The addition of nitrogen and other elements can further enhance flame retardant properties through synergistic effects. However, the synthesis of flame-retardant multifunctional additives based on phosphoramidic ammonium salts has been scarcely reported. In this study, a halogen-free and formaldehyde-free phosphoramidite ammonium salt was synthesized as a synergistic flame retardant multifunctional additive. This compound, with phosphorus as the primary flame retardant element and a nitrogen-containing guanidine group, was used to modify cotton fabrics. The treated fabrics exhibited enhanced flame retardant and antibacterial properties. Notably, cotton fabrics treated with a 17.9 % weight gain showed a damaged length of 4 cm in the vertical flame test, and the LOI value increased to 41.5 %, remaining at 27.3 % even after 50 washing cycles. The results of the cone calorimeter test (CCT) revealed that the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of treated cotton were 30.35 kW/m2 and 5.46 MJ/m2, respectively, representing reductions of 87.04 % and 36.07 % compared to untreated cotton. Physical performance tests indicated only a slight decrease in the strength and whiteness of the cotton fabrics, while softness increased after treatment. Moreover, the treated cotton fabric exhibited excellent antibacterial properties, with antibacterial rates of 99.26 % against E. coli and 98.54 % against S. aureus.

Multifunctional hernia repair biopatch: Development, characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Incisional hernia, a prevalent postoperative complication, is characterized by the protrusion of organs or tissues through damaged abdominal wall. Predisposing factors for hernias include obesity, wound infections, immunosuppression, and comorbidities. However, hernia patches currently in use, including the commercial polypropylene (PP) patch, still have limitations in providing the mechanical and biological properties necessary for abdominal wall regeneration. In this study, three dimensional (3D) printing and coaxial electrospinning methods were combined to create a multifunctional double layered hernia repair biopatch to overcome these limitations. The double-layer design of the biopatch serves a multifunctional role in addressing incisional hernia models, with 3D printed ciprofloxacin (CIP) loaded polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (Ge) scaffold (3DCIP) layer and coaxially electrospun PCL/Ge/κ-carrageenan (κ-C) nanofiber (NF) layers. While 3DCIP layers provides temporary mechanical reinforcement to the damaged abdominal wall, prevention of adhesions to internal organs, and reduction of surgical site infections, NF layer serves as tissue regeneration and fast wound healing. The developed multifunctional hernia biopatches underwent comprehensive physical and chemical characterization, followed by in vitro and in vivo evaluations. These evaluations included comparisons with a commercial PP patch, which was used as the control in the experiments. The study successfully fabricated multifunctional hernia biopatches with excellent antibacterial properties, high mechanical robustness, and strong biocompatibility.

Strategically engineered multifunctional graphene oxide hybrid nanomaterials for efficient catalytic degradation and emerging contaminants treatment

The use of functional textiles is growing in all fields of science and technology. Surface functionalization is mainly used to impart conventional textiles with new functionalities and improved performances. In the present study, a cobalt ferrite nanoparticle/graphene oxide (CoFe2O4/GO) coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric with excellent catalytic and antibacterial properties, has been successfully developed. The PET-coated CoFe2O4/GO samples, ranging from 1 % to 5 % wt. were obtained using a simple dip-coating method in CoFeO/GO solution (1 mg/mL), and were investigated through several physiochemical characterization techniques. CoFe2O4/GO and PET fabric have been shown to establish an interfacial connection by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that CoFe2O4/GO coating did not affect the PET crystallinity and that CoFe2O4/GO hybrid was incorporated in the PET samples, which was proved as well by the morphological study through Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, thermogravimetric characterisation (TGA) verified that the coating does not change or impair the quality of the fibre and that the PET@CoFe2O4/GO as made is thermally stable. Tensile strength tests demonstrated that coated fabrics exhibited outstanding mechanical properties in comparison with pristine PET. Moreover, the coated PET@CoFe2O4/GO fabric was used as a model catalytic system for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation in the rhodamine B (RhB) degradation reaction. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measurements showed that TOC removal reached 89.82 % in only 12 min reaction. The results confirmed that the coated fabrics exhibited high catalytic performances, good stability and reusability in consecutive degradation experiments with a degradation rate over 60 % even after 7 degradation cycles; Moreover, it is easily and simply separated from the mixture, by removing the textile sample from the aqueous solution. It is worth mentioning that the PET@CoFe2O4/GO fabrics showed outstanding antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacteria with an inhibition diameter zone of up to 13 mm for PET@CoFe2O4/GO (5 %). Overall, these findings are of great importance as they permit the development of a novel multifunctional textile fabric, combining anti-bacterial activity, catalytic performance and mechanical properties. The study provides a textile-based catalyst with improved catalytic performance, re-usability in consecutive degradation reactions and easy catalyst separation compared to traditional supports. Thus, a huge potential application in several fields such as medicine, heterogeneous catalysis, and wastewater treatment.

Structural modulation and frictional, antibacterial and biocompatible properties of Ag-incorporated DLC films: Dependence on Ag precipitation behavior

Ag-incorporated DLC (Ag-DLC) film attracted widespread attention in the bio-alloy implants field due to its excellent mechanical, biocompatible, and antibacterial properties. However, how to balance the short-term efficient antibacterial and biocompatibility of films, and the correlation between Ag precipitation and structural properties are still unclear. Hence, Ag-DLC films with different Ag contents were deposited by modulating Ag target current, focusing on the influence of Ag precipitation behavior. Results show that Ag dopants exist in the form of Ag crystals rather than bond with carbon matrix, which can easily precipitate and aggregate to film surface. The precipitated Ag amount with Ag target current enhances from 2.75% to 35.04% while promotes the formation of sp2 carbon structure catalyzed by Ag, corresponding to decreased mechanical property. Interestingly, a small number of Ag dopants could effectively improve the friction behavior due to the lubrication effect of soft metal Ag and the friction interface transformation. Importantly, the best antibacterial property of film is obtained at high Ag precipitation content, while the surfaces with low Ag precipitation content are more favorable for cell adhesion and cytotoxicity reduction. Therefore, the Ag target current for better comprehensive performance is suggested within the range of 0.4 to 0.6 A.

An Injectable Thermosensitive Hydrogel with Antibacterial and Antioxidation Properties for Accelerating Wound Healing.

As a new type of wound dressing, hydrogels have attracted more and more attention. However, traditional hydrogel wound dressings lack inherent antibacterial properties and are difficult to match irregular wounds, which leads to an easy wound bacterial infection. To solve the problems associated with traditional hydrogels, in this research, a thermosensitive hydrogel (PFLD) for wound dressings was developed based on Poloxamer 407 (PF127), lysine (Lys), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). Rheological tests indicated that the PFLD hydrogel possesses injectability, adaptability to deformation, and sufficient mechanical strength for wound dressing applications. In addition, it could in situ gel at 33 °C, which indicated that the hydrogel could undergo sol-to-gel transition under body temperature. Upon using it in wound treatment, it could adapt to irregular wounds to achieve full coverage of the wound and promote the rapid hemostasis of wound bleeding. Due to the presence of DOPAC in the hydrogel, it exhibited excellent antibacterial and antioxidant properties on the wounds. The skin defect model showed that the wound shrinkage was the fastest after PFLD hydrogel treatment. On day 14, the wound shrinkage rates were 81.68 and 99.77% for the control and PFLD hydrogel groups, respectively. Therefore, the PFLD hydrogel has a broad application prospect as a dressing for the treatment of irregular wounds.

Superhydrophobic Metal-Organic Framework-Based Composite Featuring Removal of Hydrophobic Drugs and Pesticides and Antibacterial Activities.

The widespread use and contamination of natural sources by new-generation drugs and pesticides have enhanced concern about environmental pollution. Understanding the above importance, we developed a superhydrophobic metal-organic framework (MOF) (SHMOF': [Zr6O4(OH)4(BDC-NH-CO-R)2.4(BDC-NH2)0.6(CF3COO)6]·2.5H2O·4DMF) for ecological remediation via adsorption-based separation of hydrophobic drugs (flurbiprofen) and pesticides (fluazinam). The newly developed SHMOF' has a high adsorption capacity toward flurbiprofen and fluazinam, i.e., 435 and 575 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium time of the MOF is very short (15 and 10 min for flurbiprofen and fluazinam, respectively). The outstanding superhydrophobic nature of the MOF was employed to separate flurbiprofen and fluazinam from highly alkaline and acidic media and environmental water samples. The SHMOF' has excellent selectivity toward the adsorption-based separation of flurbiprofen and fluazinam in the coexistence of common analytes. Again, we developed a polypropylene (PP) fabric-based composite of SHMOF' (SHMOF'@PP) to separate the hydrophobic targeted analytes by using a zero-energy-consuming filtration-based separation method, which made this separation process cost-efficient and user-friendly. Moreover, Ag nanoparticles were doped to the superhydrophobic composite. The Ag-doped reusable SHMOF'@PP@Ag composite exhibited excellent bacterial antiadhesion and antibacterial properties toward Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.