Cutaneous wound healing is a complex biological process often impaired by bacterial infections, especially by Staphylococcus aureus. To address this, alginate (ALG)/chitosan (CS) polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films incorporating alginate-coated silver nanoparticles (ALG–AgNPs) were fabricated by layer-by-layer self-assembly. The films exhibited a porous, layered morphology with homogeneous distribution of ALG–AgNPs, hydrophilic surfaces (contact angle ≈ 55°), a high swelling degree (~175%), and a water vapor transmission rate of 1830 g m−2·day−1. Thermal analyses showed similar degradation profiles up to 600 °C, with the ALG–AgNP film displaying lower moisture loss and higher dehydration temperature, consistent with enhanced ionic and coordination crosslinking (–NH3+/–COO− and Ag–O–C bonds). The release of Ag+ in PBS (pH 7.4) was ~3% after 24 h, following a Korsmeyer–Peppas mechanism (R2 = 0.97, n 80% viability for fibroblasts, keratinocytes, macrophages, and 2-log reduction in adhesion, and an 11 ± 1 mm inhibition zone for S. aureus. These results demonstrate that ALG/CS–AgNP PEM films combine biocompatibility, antibacterial efficacy, controlled degradation, and structural stability, making them promising multifunctional scaffolds for the regeneration of infected skin wounds.
Usseglio et al. (2026) studied this question.