Light-Activated Antibacterial Zinc Phthalocyanine–Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Hybrid Fibrous Membranes for Wound Healing

To address the challenge of antibiotic resistance in wound healing, we developed a functional electrospun fiber membrane utilizing a nonantibiotic antimicrobial strategy. Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc), a potent photosensitizer, was encapsulated into NPs exhibiting dual photothermal and photodynamic properties via flash nanoprecipitation (FNP). The resulting ZnPc nanoparticles (NPs) demonstrated a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 34.6% and robust photodynamic activity under 660 nm laser irradiation. These nanoparticles were incorporated into a polycaprolactone/gelatin (ZnPc-PG) nanofibrous membrane. The membrane demonstrated 99% bactericidal efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli within 5 min of laser irradiation through synergistic photothermal and photodynamic therapies. In vivo experiments confirmed that the ZnPc-PG membrane effectively accelerated wound healing and suppressed inflammatory responses in infected wounds while exhibiting excellent biocompatibility. This study provides an effective strategy for developing functional wound dressings for treating bacterial wound infections.