Chitosan hydrogels loaded with Cu₃SnS₄ NSs for the treatment of second-degree burn wounds

Globally, burns pose a significant health concern, impairing the skin's normal function and elevating the risk of bacterial infection. Traditional burn dressings often fail to deliver the anticipated therapeutic benefits. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an ideal wound dressing that exhibits satisfactory antibacterial properties, biocompatibility, and the ability to expedite burn wound healing. Here, we prepared chitosan-based hydrogel (CS/GP), and then loaded copper-tin -sulfur (Cu₃SnS₄) synthesized by hydrothermal method into the hydrogel to construct a new hydrogel dressing (CS/GP/Cu₃SnS₄). In vitro antibacterial tests demonstrated that the CS/GP/Cu₃SnS₄ hydrogel dressing exhibits considerable antibacterial properties, achieving an antibacterial rate exceeding 95% after 4 h of contact with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Additionally, CCK-8 and live/dead cell staining experiments confirmed the dressing's good biocompatibility. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed that the CS/GP/Cu₃SnS₄ hydrogel dressing demonstrates superior wound healing performance compared to the control group. In conclusion, the CS/GP/Cu₃SnS₄ hydrogel shows potential application prospects as a burn wound dressing.