Degradable Hemostatic Antibacterial Zein Nanofibrous Mats as Anti-Adhesive Wound Dressing

Strong blood adhesion to dressing may cause secondary damage to the wounds during the wound dressing replacement process. Thus, blood repellent dressings have significant potential applications in wound treatment. Herein, a hydrophobic, degradable, and antibacterial dressing is reported to reduce the blood adhesion and prevent infection around the wounds. The dressing is prepared by cross-linked non-woven zein nanofibers with quaternized titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles coating. The dual hydrophobic structures supported by zein nanofibers and the quaternized TiO 2 nanoparticles coating provide outstanding water/blood repellency for the dressing, and efficiently prevent blood leakage. Meanwhile, the dressing also possesses appropriate moisture permeability (2194 ± 143 mL m −2 per day). In addition, the quaternized TiO 2 nanoparticles coating provides excellent bactericidal activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus , especially under visible Xe lamp illumination. Evaluations of hemolysis and cytocompatibility confirm that the fabricated mat is biocompatible and non-toxic to the cells. Considering the excellent degradable features, the dressing may become a promising environmentally friendly biomedical material.