Wearable Magnetoelectric Stimulation for Chronic Wound Healing by Electrospun CoFe₂O₄@CTAB/PVDF Dressings

Abstract

Magnetoelectric stimulation is a promising therapy for various disorders due to its high efficacy and safety. To explore its potential in chronic skin wound treatment, we developed a magnetoelectric dressing, CFO@CTAB/PVDF (CCP), by electrospinning cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-modified CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) particles with polyvinylidene fluoride. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) serves as a dispersion surfactant for CFO, with its quaternary ammonium cations imparting antibacterial and hydrophilic properties to the dressing. Electrospinning polarizes polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) molecules and forms a fibrous membrane with flexibility and breathability. With a wearable electromagnetic induction device, a dynamic magnetic field is established to induce magnetostrictive deformation of CFO nanoparticles. Consequently, a piezoelectric potential is generated on the surface of PVDF nanofibers to enhance the endogenous electrical field in the wound, achieving a cascade coupling of electric−magnetic−mechanical−electric effects. Bacteria and cell cultures show that 2% CTAB effectively balances antibacterial property and fibroblast activity. Under dynamic magnetoelectric stimulation, the CCP dressing demonstrates significant upregulation of TGF-β, FGF, and VEGF, promoting L929 cell adhesion and proliferation. Moreover, it facilitates the healing of diabetic rat skin wounds infected with Staphylococcus aureus within 2 weeks. Histological and molecular biology evaluations confirm the anti-inflammatory effect of CTAB and the accelerated formation of collagen and vessel by electrical stimulation. This work provides insights into the application of magnetoelectric stimulation in the healing of chronic wounds.

Bioelectret Materials and Their Bioelectric Effects for Tissue Repair: A Review

“…Compared to piezoelectric materials, both have the ability to generate electrical effects in the biomedical field, but they have different focuses in the way they achieve this effect and in their application scenarios. Piezoelectric materials, such as PVDF nanofibers and blink-driven piezoelectric contact lenses (BPCL) mentioned in Table , generate voltage through mechanical deformation. This characteristic allows them to produce electrical signals in dynamic environments, such as during movement or vibration.…”