UV-Assisted Silver Functionalization of Cotton Gauze for Antimicrobial and Biocompatible Wound Healing Applications

Bacterial infections remain a major challenge to human health, especially in wound healing, where they can cause prolonged inflammation, delayed recovery, and severe complications. Current research is increasingly focused on developing innovative antimicrobial materials capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional antibiotics, whose effectiveness has declined due to the rise in bacterial resistance. Among the various alternatives, silver nanoparticles have gained particular attention for their broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and have already been successfully applied in the functionalization of commercial wound dressings. The aim of this study was to optimize the functionalization of commercial cotton gauzes based on in situ UV-assisted reduction of silver nanoparticles, reducing methanol usage and identifying the minimal silver nitrate precursor concentration to achieve antimicrobial efficacy while maintaining biocompatibility. Different precursor concentrations were then evaluated through cytocompatibility assays (MTT, Live/Dead, and scratch tests on fibroblasts) and antimicrobial analyses against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus (including an antibiotic-resistant strain), and Candida albicans. The results demonstrated that a 0.5% w/w silver nitrate concentration provided strong antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity without compromising textile properties or cytocompatibility. Furthermore, this optimized process reduced material waste, highlighting its potential for scalable production of antimicrobial wound dressings.