A Wound Exudate‐Activated Yarn Battery for Antimicrobial Electrical Fabric Dressing

Abstract Excessive inflammation poses a major challenge to wound care, with massive exudation and bacterial infection being the prominent factors contributing to the inflammation. Current biomaterials can achieve passive or interactive wound repair through exudate absorption and anti‐infection. However, they cannot actively modulate the cellular behavior associated with skin wound repair. Inspired by the endogenous electric field (EF), the present study develops an antimicrobial and self‐powered electrical fabric dressing (EFD). An EFD with multifunctional properties of wound exudate collection, anti‐infection, and self‐powered electrical stimulation (ES) is assembled via weaving a series of hydrophilically modified cotton yarn‐based batteries. Upon contact with the wound, EFD absorbs the wound exudate owing to its high hydrophilicity and utilizes it as the natural electrolyte to activate the battery. With the endogenous power supply, the ES‐promoted polarization of macrophage, as well as the migration and proliferation of fibroblasts, enhancing the active wound repair process. Moreover, the dressings exhibit excellent antibacterial properties, attributable to the synergistic effects of the cationic polymer brushes on the cotton yarn and the anodic by‐product (magnesium hydroxide) during discharging. Thus, the wound exudate‐activated EFD can effectively manage wound exudates, prevent bacterial infection, and provide self‐powered electrotherapy to facilitate active wound tissue repair.