Interfacial assembly of chitin/Mn3O4 composite hydrogels as photothermal antibacterial platform for infected wound healing

To combat bacteria and even biofilm infections, developing alternative antibacterial wound dressings independent of antibiotics is imperative. Herein, this study developed a series of bioactive chitin/Mn3O4 composite hydrogels under mild conditions for infected wound healing application. The in situ synthesized Mn3O4 NPs homogeneously distribute throughout chitin networks and strongly interact with chitin matrix, and as well as endow the chitin/Mn3O4 hydrogels with NIR-assisted outstanding photothermal antibacterial and antibiofilm activities. Meantime, the chitin/Mn3O4 hydrogels exhibit favorable biocompatibility and antioxidant property. Furthermore, the chitin/Mn3O4 hydrogels with the assist of NIR show an excellent skin wound healing performance in a mouse full-thickness S. aureus biofilms-infected wound model, by accelerating the phase transition from inflammation to remodeling. This study broadens the scope for the fabrication of chitin hydrogels with antibacterial property, and offers an excellent alternative for the bacterial-associated wound infection therapy.