Tailoring Enhanced Piezoelectric Chitosan‐Glycine Biodegradable Films With Functionalized TiO 2 Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Applications

ABSTRACT Piezoelectric biomaterials such as chitosan and β‐glycine mimic endogenous electrical signals to aid wound healing, yet the role of surface‐functionalized TiO 2 nanoparticles in enhancing the properties of glycine–polymer composites remains unexplored. This study incorporates TiO 2 nanoparticles functionalized with citric acid (TiO 2 ‐CA) into a chitosan‐β‐glycine matrix to improve wound‐healing performance. Films containing 4, 8, and 12 wt% TiO 2 ‐CA are prepared by solvent casting and evaluated for their physicochemical and in vitro biological properties. XRD confirms the phases of glycine crystals and TiO 2 nanoparticles, while FESEM shows the distribution of TiO 2 ‐CA nanoparticles within the film. The 12 wt% film exhibits a 40.6% higher contact angle, an increase in tensile strength from 4.93 to 10.99 MPa, a 200% reduction in swelling, a 90% reduction in protein adsorption, exhibits good cell viability, and accelerates wound closure in the scratch assay test compared to the control. Oscilloscope measurements reveal that the 12 wt% film produces voltage outputs 90%, 33%, and 24% higher during finger stretching, tapping, and bending, respectively. These results suggest that the films are promising for advanced wound healing by mimicking electrical signals to promote tissue regeneration.