Infected wounds can lead to delayed healing, suppuration, and potentially life-threatening complications. Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, led by Professor Xungai Wang, Professor Shuo Shi, Professor Huiqun Zhou, and Professor Yang Ming, together with collaborators from City University of Hong Kong, Jiangnan University, and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, have developed a breakthrough bionic wound dressing.

Traditional wound dressings force trade-offs between comfort and functionality. The novel bionic cooling skin overcomes this by combining hierarchical Janus nanofiber structure with visible light-responsive metal–organic frameworks, achieving passive thermal management, antibacterial action, and skin-like mechanical compatibility.

The material features solvent welding technology with single-sided Fe-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8. This creates tensile strength of approximately 21.6 MPa and failure strain of 54%—matching natural human skin. The Janus architecture includes a hydrophobic outer layer reflecting sunlight and a hydrophilic inner layer anchoring antibacterial nanoparticles.

Performance metrics include air permeability exceeding 1.8 mL s⁻¹ and water vapor transmission surpassing 12.5 kg m⁻² d⁻¹. Under simulated sunlight, the dressing reduces surface temperature by approximately 4°C. The bionic skin achieves 97.1% antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus, with wounds achieving near-complete closure within 11 days.

Gene analysis reveals upregulation of angiogenesis and cell migration markers while downregulating inflammatory factors, confirming activation of PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, and NF-kappa B signaling pathways.

Journal: Nano-Micro Letters
DOI: 10.1007/s40820-026-02240-6
Article Title: Bionic Cooling Skin for Infected Wound Healing
Publication Date: 28-May-2026

Source: EurekAlert / The Hong Kong Polytechnic University