Wound healing is a systematic and complex process that involves various intrinsic and
extrinsic factors affecting different stages of wound repair. Therefore,
multifunctional wound dressings that can modulate these factors to
promote wound healing are in high demand. In this work, a multifunctional
Janus electrospinning nanofiber dressing with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
properties, controlled release of drugs, and unidirectional water
transport was prepared by depositing coaxial nanofibers on a hydrophilic
poly(ε-caprolactone)@polydopamine-ε-polyl-lysine
(PCL@PDA-ε-PL) nanofiber membrane. The coaxial nanofiber was
loaded with the phase change material lauric acid (LA) in the shell
layer and anti-inflammatory ibuprofen (IBU) in the core layer. Among
them, LA with a melting point of 43 °C served as a phase change
material to control the release of IBU. The phase transition of LA
was induced by near-infrared (NIR) irradiation that triggered the
photothermal properties of PDA. Moreover, the Janus nanofiber dressing
exhibited synergistic antimicrobial properties for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus
aureus due to the photothermal properties of PDA and
antibacterial ε-PL. The prepared Janus nanofiber dressing also
exhibited anti-inflammatory activity and biocompatibility. In addition,
the Janus nanofiber dressing had asymmetric wettability that enabled
directional water transport, thereby draining excessive wound exudate.
The water vapor transmission test indicated that the Janus nanofiber
dressing had good air permeability. Finally, skin wound healing evaluation
in rats confirmed its efficacy in promoting wound healing. Therefore,
this strategy of designing and manufacturing a multifunctional Janus
nanofiber dressing had great potential in wound healing applications.