A Dressing Solution for Burn Wounds: Antibacterial and Low-Adherent Wound Dressings

Considering the infection and second trauma caused by dressing changes, development of antibacterial and low-adherent wound dressings is urgently needed. Silver ion is a widely used antimicrobial agent, but its cytotoxicity remains a problem. In this study, low-adherent PAM (polyacrylamide) hydrogel incorporated with less toxic AgNP (silver nanoparticle), was immobilized onto PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) substrates by an IPN (interpenetrating polymer network) method. The modified PET is effectively antibacterial and the surface is significantly less adherent than untreated PET. However, silver-resistant bacteria become a potential problem. Thus, ionic 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH) analogues containing either a quaternary ammonium moiety or a phosphonate functional group were designed and synthesized. The DMH analogues were converted to antibacterial N-chloramine counterparts through chlorination to serve as potential alternatives to AgNP. The N-chloramine with a structural cation exhibited distinctly enhanced antibacterial functions both in solution and after immobilization on fabrics.