Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, in collaboration with City University of Hong Kong, Jiangnan University, and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, have developed a new bionic wound dressing that aims to address the limitations of traditional dressings. According to a July 11 announcement, the team was led by Professors Xungai Wang, Shuo Shi, Huiqun Zhou, and Yang Ming.
Traditional wound dressings often require compromises between comfort and effectiveness. Gauze can adhere to wounds, causing pain during changes; foam dressings are expensive; hydrocolloid dressings may not be suitable for infected wounds. The newly developed bionic cooling skin uses a hierarchical Janus nanofiber structure combined with visible light-responsive metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to provide passive thermal management, on-demand antibacterial action, and mechanical compatibility similar to human skin.
The material is produced using solvent welding technology integrated with single-sided Fe-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (Fe-ZIF8). This process results in strong bonding points between electrospun PVDF nanofibers and imparts tensile strength close to natural human skin. The Janus architecture features an outer hydrophobic layer that reflects sunlight for cooling and an inner hydrophilic layer that wicks moisture while anchoring nanoparticles for antibacterial effects.
Scientific analysis shows that Fe doping narrows the ZIF8 bandgap, enabling visible light absorption. When illuminated, the dressing generates photocatalytic reactive oxygen species at twice the intensity of undoped ZIF8 for bacterial elimination. In tests on rat models under realistic outdoor conditions, the dressing reduced surface temperature by about 1.7°C compared to non-Janus materials.
For infected wounds, the new dressing achieved 97.1% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus under white light while maintaining biocompatibility over five days with fibroblast cells. Wounds treated with this material showed near-complete closure within 11 days—healing more than twice as fast as untreated or standard groups—and demonstrated uniform collagen deposition without excessive scarring.
Genetic analysis indicated upregulation of genes related to angiogenesis and cell migration while reducing inflammatory markers in treated tissue samples. Researchers say these findings establish a new approach for intelligent wound management by integrating structural biomimicry with functional material design.
