Valence‐ and Phase‐Engineered VP/WOx Heterojunction Microneedles for Photoresponsive Therapy of Infected Wounds
ABSTRACT Bacterial infection and biofilm formation create a persistent wound microenvironment that requires effective antibacterial treatment while preserving tissue regeneration. However, current photoresponsive wound dressings often lack precise control over photothermal and ROS‐mediated outputs, and their therapeutic function is usually diminished after degradation. To address this dilemma, we report novel valence‐phase tunable violet phosphorene/tungsten oxide (VP/WO x ) heterojunctions integrated into poly(vinyl alcohol) microneedle patches for infected wound treatment. Twin heterojunctions, VP/WO x α and VP/WO x β, were constructed with distinct interfacial structures, tungsten valence states, and electronic interactions. Under 808 nm irradiation, both heterojunctions showed efficient photoactivity and distinct therapeutic tendencies, with VP/WO x α favoring photothermal conversion and VP/WO x β producing more ROS. Moreover, resulting microneedles retained strong antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against S. aureus and E. coli , and their degradation products further provided antibacterial effects. In a S. aureus ‐infected full‐thickness wound model, NIR‐activated P‐VP/WO x α strongly reduced bacterial burden and inflammation and promoted vascularized, collagen‐rich tissue regeneration. This work highlights valence and phase engineering as an effective strategy for coordinating antibacterial therapy, degradability, and wound repair, thus providing a new approach for developing tunable photoresponsive platforms for infected wound healing.
Authors
- Z Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3749-9339)
- Chao Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4215-3630)
- Yuanhao Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3035-1832)
- Si Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4155-0810)
- Yuehua Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1343-7449)
- Ze Han
- Tao Chen
- Yucui Zhou
Institutions
- Chongqing University (CN)
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (CN)
- Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College (CN)
- Chongqing Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2026-07-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74675
- Primary Topic
- Wound Healing and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation