Electrospinnable composites for laser-activated tissue bonding and wound monitoring

We disclose a new composite featuring noble-metal nanorods in porous chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol mats or sponges for applications in wound healing and monitoring. The plasmonic component provides synergistic opportunities for the optical activation of functions as near-infrared laser welding, and the remote assessment of parameters of prognostic relevance in wound monitoring, like the environmental level of oxidative stress. At the same time, the polymer blend is ideal to bind connective tissue upon photothermal activation, and to support fabrication processes that ensure high porosity, such as electrospinning, thus paving the way to cellular repopulation and antimicrobial protection. In particular, we address the stabilization of the electrospun mats by cross-linking in a vapor of glutaraldehyde, and their cytotoxicity to a model of relevance in wound dressing like human fibroblasts.