In photothermal therapy (PTT), reconciling efficient bacterial eradication with tissue safety has long been a challenge, mainly because thermal excitation is typically operated in an open-loop state. This paper presents a detachable double-layer hydrogel dressing. The upper layer is a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based thermosensitive protective layer acting as a self-regulating thermal cap; the lower layer is a Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene/ciprofloxacin (CIP) therapeutic layer that provides synergistic antibacterial therapy.

The peelable structure enables staged temperature programming for wound repair. By replacing the upper protective layer on demand, the local therapeutic temperature can be precisely confined within different specific windows to accommodate the distinct physiological requirements of early infection control and subsequent tissue repair. The underlying therapeutic hydrogel achieves uniform integration of MXene and CIP via sodium alginate-mediated ordered assembly. Combining the two-dimensional lamellar structure of MXene with the chemical bactericidal mechanism of CIP, near-infrared light irradiation can effectively disrupt bacterial membranes and inhibit DNA gyrase, achieving synergistic bacterial killing.


This temperature capping strategy is used to realize immune regulation and tissue remodeling of the wound microenvironment. In infected wound models, the programmable temperature-capped dressing can significantly reduce the duration of local high-temperature exposure, suppress the expression of pro-inflammatory factors including TNF-α, IL6 and p-NF-κB p65, and alleviate heat stress responses. Meanwhile, this strategy modulates VEGF and CD31-associated angiogenic remodeling, promotes ordered collagen deposition and epithelialization, thereby accelerating wound closure and high-quality repair.

The polymer composite gel endowed by the MXene percolation network enables in-situ bioelectronic monitoring. The therapeutic layer exhibits stable negative temperature coefficient (NTC) behavior and can serve as a flexible sensor to monitor local temperature and strain variations in situ. A bench-top closed-loop laser control system was also constructed. Using the hydrogel as the photothermal conversion medium and integrating external temperature feedback to adjust laser output, this work provides a proof-of-concept for developing intelligent feedback-compatible autonomous wound management platforms in the future.