Design and evaluation of PVA/Alg/HANFs@CuS composite membranes: Balance between mechanical reinforcement and antibacterial performances

Biomedical dressings are highly susceptible to bacterial infections, and most suffer from poor mechanical resistance, leading to structural damage during application and reduced effectiveness. Therefore, developing novel dressings with high mechanical strength and effective antibacterial ability is essential. In this study, a multi-component composite membrane is designed to address these challenges by leveraging the reinforcing effect of hydroxyapatite nanofibers (HANFs) and the photothermal antibacterial abilities of copper sulfide (CuS). This composite membrane exhibits excellent mechanical properties, with a maximum ultimate tensile strength and Young's modulus of 61 ± 1.25 MPa and 937.36 ± 16.15 MPa, respectively, in the dry state. Under near infrared (NIR) irradiation, the generated heat and released Cu 2+ produce a synergistic antibacterial effect, with the inhibition rate against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) exceeding 90 % when the HANFs@CuS content reaches 40 wt%. Cellular experiments confirm the good biocompatibility of the composite membranes across different HANFs@CuS contents, with cell viability maintaining over 80 % at 40 wt%. This study seamlessly integrates the mechanical advantage of HANFs with the photothermal antibacterial ability of CuS nanoparticles , providing a promising strategy for designing advanced biomedical dressings.