Owing to the structural replication of native extracellular matrix, nonwoven mats of electrospun nanofibers have great potential for use in wound healing. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of a sandwich wound dressing to balance its antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility. This success mainly relies on the incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into electrospun nanofibers, together with the rational design of a sandwich structure for the dressing. The bottom layer was composed of hydrophilic nanofibers made from a blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (Gel). The top layer consisted of hydrophobic PCL nanofibers. AgNP-loaded PCL/Gel nanofibers were sandwiched between the two layers. When compared with a commercial silver sulfadiazine dressing, the designed wound dressing showed competitive antimicrobial properties, lower cell toxicity, and accelerated wound closure for mouse skin injury. By balancing the biocompatibility of electrospun nanofibers and the broad-spectrum antibacterial activity of AgNPs within a sandwich structure, the novel multifunctional wound dressing could be valuable for effective wound healing and related applications.
Keywords: Ag nanoparticles; Electrospun nanofibers; Sandwich structure; Urgotul SSD; Wound healing.
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