Multifunctional and Sprayable 2D MoS₂/Silk Sericin Bio-Nanocomposite Dressings with Enhanced Photothermal Effect for Infected Wound Healing

Developing novel antibacterial dressing protecting skin injuries from infection is essential for wound healing. In this study, sericin, a bio-waste produced during the degumming of silk cocoons, is utilized to exfoliate MoS₂ layers and improve the dispersity and stability of MoS₂ nanosheets (MoS₂-NSs). Moreover, owing to its ability to promote oxygen permeability and cell growth and its good biocompatibility, MoS₂-NS/Sericin maintains its photothermal property under an 808 nm light source for a strong antibacterial activity as well as improves the fibroblast migration, which accelerates wound healing. Furthermore, the in vitro experiments indicates that MoS₂-NS/Sericin can also scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) at an inflammatory stage of wound healing and transform classical activated macrophages (M1-type) into alternatively activated macrophages (M2-type), which is beneficial for wound recovery. Based on these results observed in vitro, full-thickness skin wound experiments are conducted on rats, and the corresponding results show that MoS₂/Sericin under 808 nm irradiation exhibits the best performance in promoting wound healing. Overall, MoS₂-NS/Sericin exhibits a high potential for bacteria-infected wound healing.