Conductive Materials for Healing Wounds: Their Incorporation in Electroactive Wound Dressings, Characterization, and Perspectives

Abstract

The use of conductive materials to promote the activity of electrically responsive cells is an effective means of accelerating wound healing. This article focuses on recent advancements in conductive materials, with emphasis on overviewing their incorporation with non-conducting polymers to fabricate electroactive wound dressings. The characteristics of these electroactive dressings are deliberated, and the mechanisms on how they accelerate the wound healing process are discussed. Potential directions for the future development of electroactive wound dressings and their potential in monitoring the course of wound healing in vivo concomitantly are also proposed.

Keywords: conductive materials; electrical stimulation; electroactive dressing; trans-epithelial potential; wound healing.