Nanofiber-reinforced chitosan/gelatine hydrogel with photothermal, antioxidant and conductive capabilities promotes healing of infected wounds

The wound healing process was often accompanied by bacterial infection and inflammation. The combination of electrically conductive nanomaterials and wound dressings could accelerate cell proliferation through endogenous electrical signaling, effectively promoting wound healing. In this study, polypyrrole was modified with dopamine hydrochloride by an in situ polymerization to form dopamine-polypyrrole (DA-Ppy) conductive nanofibers which successfully enhanced the water dispersibility and biocompatibility of polypyrrole. The DA-Ppy nanofibers were dispersed in an aqueous solution for >48 h and still maintained good stability. In addition, the DA-Ppy nanofibers showed good photothermal properties, and the temperature could reach 59.7 °C by 1.5 W/cm