Effective Scald Wound Functional Recovery Patch Achieved by Molecularly Intertwined Electrical and Chemical Message...

Bioactive materials that communicate with bio-tissues via simultaneous chemical and electrical information promise an advanced medical treatment strategy. Rational design of simultaneous chemically and electrically active materials is still challenging. In this study, we develop a bioactive wound healing patch that enables functional recovery of scald skin wounds by integrating electrically and chemically active units at the molecular level. The patch should be used with massages for 10 min daily during the recovery process. This healing patch consists of a closely intertwined piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF) film and a self-adhesive poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA) hydrogel layer, which permits itself to adhere on skin wounds reversibly. Frequency-dependent electrical and chemical dose delivery is achieved in response to mechanical stimuli via the electrical-chemical crosstalk within the healing patch. Animal scald experiments show that the patch can effectively guide the functional recovery of grade I and shallow grade II scald wounds, promoting proper collagen deposition and hair follicle, blood vessel, and gland regeneration. Integrating electrically and chemically active units at the molecular level in treatment devices provides a new design concept for tissue engineering and medical treatment materials.