3D-Printed Methacrylated Gelatin–Lignin Carbon Dot Hydrogel Combined with PLA Nanofibers for Wound Dressings

Traditional wound dressings have limitations in terms of their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as their ability to maintain a moist wound environment. Addressing these deficiencies with innovative biomaterials, such as hydrogels combined with nanomaterials, can accelerate healing and perform a variety of functions in advanced biomedical materials. In this study, 3D-printed hydrogel membranes were designed and combined with nanofibrous PLA mats produced by the solution blow spinning technique (SBS) for use as a bilayered wound dressing. These membranes were manufactured from gelatin modified with methacrylamide groups (GMA), incorporated with bioactive lignin carbon dots (CDs), and cross-linked using ultraviolet (UV) light. The GMA membranes with the addition of lignin CDs showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and greater mechanical deformation when combined with the PLA fibrous mats, in addition to not causing cytotoxic effects in human fibroblasts. Furthermore, the developed material was capable of maintaining a persistent hydrated environment in the wound area with adequate degradation capacity. Our results demonstrate the potential for manufacturing multifunctional wound dressings utilizing biodegradable and sustainable nanomaterials that are both cost-effective and straightforward to produce, with applications in biomedical fields, including the treatment of skin wound infections.