1D Nanofiber-2D Nanosheet Assembled 3D Bioinspired Dressings for Treating Exuding Infected Wounds

The healing of highly exuding infected wounds is challenging due to the accumulation of excessive exudates and bacterial colonization. Here, inspired by the water management capacities of 1D cellulose nanofibers assembled aligned pores in trees and the antibacterial effect of 2D nanosheets in Nepenthes, we present a bottom-up self-assembly strategy to use 1D poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers and 2D graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets as building blocks to create a 3D bioinspired assembled aerogel dressing (BAAD). The 3D BAAD is formed with 1D PVA nanofibers serving as the framework and 2D GO nanosheets arranged on this framework to create aligned pores. Benefiting from the aligned pores and high porosity, the BAAD enables vertical transport of liquid at a high speed of 1.36 cm·s^-1 and demonstrates an exceptional water absorption capacity (118 g/g), which is currently the highest reported. The in vitro studies demonstrate that the BAAD effectively inhibits the growth of both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Gram-positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (E. coli, Gram-negative bacteria). The in vivo study further confirms that the BAAD effectively promotes wound healing by facilitating exudate management and enhancing antimicrobial activity. This study provides new insights into the development of 3D hierarchical dressings by assembling 1D and 2D building blocks for exuding infected wounds treatment.