Efficient Nanofibrous Membranes for Antibacterial Wound Dressing and UV Protection

Abstract

Materials with a hierarchical structure often demonstrate superior properties with combined and even synergistic effects of multiple functions. Herein, we report the design of a new class of material with a multicompartment nanofibrous structure as a promising candidate for antibacterial wound dressing and functional textile applications. The design consists in first synthesizing nanocapsules loaded with functional payloads and subsequently embedding the nanocapsules into polymer nanofibers by using the colloid-electrospinning technique. The nanocontainer-in-nanofiber structure allows for a selective and separate loading of different functional agents with different polarities, and it offers a flexible combination of the properties of nanocontainers and nanofibers. An example of the potential for these multicompartment materials is demonstrated here, in which the synergistic antibacterial effect against E. coli K-12 and B. Subtilis combined with anti-UV property is shown.