Synthesis of silver/Fe3O4@chitosan@polyvinyl alcohol magnetic nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent for accelerating wound healing

Bacterial infection causes wound inflammation and slows wound healing, posing a great threat to human health, which needs to explore more antibacterial nanobiomaterials to promote wound healing. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop low-cost silver/Fe3O4@Chitosan@polyvinyl alcohol (Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA) via a one-pot method to promote healing in bacteria-infected wounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) confirmed that Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA was successfully prepared. In vitro antibacterial experiments demonstrated strong antibacterial activity of Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA destroyed the bacterial cell membrane or internal structure, thus resulting in cell death for antibacterial effects. Cytotoxicity and hemolysis rate tests showed that Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA posed fine biocompatibility. In addition, in vivo assays confirmed that Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA not only promoted the healing of wound infection caused by bacteria, but also had no toxic effect on mouse organs. Therefore, the low-cost Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA nanocomposites have great potential in controlling ‘bacterial’ pathogen. [Display omitted] •A low-cost Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA nanocomposite was synthesized via a one-pot method.•Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA had strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.•The Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA destroyed the integrity of cell structure, causing cell death.•Ag/Fe3O4@CS@PVA could promote the healing of wound infection caused by S. aureus.