Low-dimensional antimicrobial nanomaterials in anti-infection treatment and wound healing

Bacterial infections have always been a major threat to human health. Skin wounds are frequently exposed to the external environment, and they may become contaminated by bacteria derived from the surrounding skin, the local environment, and the patient's own endogenous sources. Contaminated wounds may enter a state of chronic inflammation that impedes healing. Urgent development of antibacterial wound dressings capable of effectively combating bacteria and overcoming resistance is necessary. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials present promising potential as innovative strategies for antimicrobial wound dressings, owing to their robust antibacterial characteristics and the inherent advantage of avoiding antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this review provides a concise overview of the antimicrobial mechanisms exhibited by low-dimensional nanomaterials. It further categorizes common low-dimensional antimicrobial nanomaterials into zero-dimensional (0D), one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials based on their structural characteristics, and gives a detailed compendium of the latest research advances and applications of different low-dimensional antimicrobial nanomaterials in wound healing, which could be helpful for the development of more effective wound dressings. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.