Interfacial assembly of chitin/Mn₃O₄ composite hydrogels as photothermal antibacterial platform for infected wound...

To combat bacteria and even biofilm infections, developing alternative antibacterial wound dressings independent of antibiotics is imperative. Herein, this study developed a series of bioactive chitin/Mn₃O₄ composite hydrogels under mild conditions for infected wound healing application. The in situ synthesized Mn₃O₄ NPs homogeneously distribute throughout chitin networks and strongly interact with chitin matrix, and as well as endow the chitin/Mn₃O₄ hydrogels with NIR-assisted outstanding photothermal antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. Meantime, the chitin/Mn₃O₄ hydrogels exhibit favorable biocompatibility and antioxidant property. Furthermore, the chitin/Mn₃O₄ hydrogels with the assist of NIR show an excellent skin wound healing performance in a mouse full-thickness S. aureus biofilms-infected wound model, by accelerating the phase transition from inflammation to remodeling. This study broadens the scope for the fabrication of chitin hydrogels with antibacterial property, and offers an excellent alternative for the bacterial-associated wound infection therapy.