Bifunctional Electrospun Nanocomposite Dressing: Integrating Antibacterial Efficacy and Controllable Antioxidant Properties for Expedited Wound Healing

Current wound dressings are insufficient in simultaneously addressing bacterial infections and oxidative stress, which severely affects wound healing outcomes. To solve this problem, we introduced poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) with strong antibacterial properties and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂NPs) with excellent antioxidant capabilities into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes to prepare a novel composite dressing. The PIL-CeO₂NPs-PAN nanofiber membrane provides sustained antibacterial activity through stably embedded PIL, while the uniformly distributed CeO₂NPs achieve controlled release, avoiding safety issues caused by the rapid release of active substances. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the membrane exhibits outstanding biocompatibility, significant antibacterial effects (inhibition rates of 88.3% against <i>Escherichia coli</i> and 93.2% against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>), and excellent antioxidant performance (64.7% reactive oxygen species scavenging rate). More importantly, PIL-CeO₂NPs-PAN achieved a 94.1% wound healing rate within 14 days, significantly superior to traditional treatment methods. The results indicate that this composite membrane significantly improves wound healing by simultaneously resisting infection and oxidative stress, providing a safe and effective new option for clinical applications. Our work offers an innovative design strategy that combines antibacterial and antioxidant mechanisms for wound care.