11.4　Challenges and Perspectives

In this chapter，we have reviewed the recent progress of functionalized polymer dressings in promoting wound healing and hemostasis.By using hydrogels，functionalized polymer fibers，etc.，and tuning their chemical composition，network structure，surface wettability，and other features，they can effectively achieve unique functions such as selfadhesion，antibacterial，and exudate removal，thereby promoting wound healing.In addition，the hydrogels can be used as a carrier to effectively combine the photothermal components，nanogenerators，and functional nanocarriers to achieve external stimulation to the wound and promote wound repair.Compared with traditional dressings，functionalized polymer dressings are aimed at the mechanism of wound repair，possible infections and other issues，by activating autologous factors to promote wound repair and inhibit bacterial infections，so as to achieve the purpose of promoting wound healing，which is of great importance as the next-generation dressings.However，we have also noticed that for some chronic hard-to-heal wounds and wounds with drug-resistant bacteria infection，achieving rapid healing is still an important challenge in this field.Moreover，these functionalized polymer dressings are still in their infancy and are more verified in small animal models.It remains challenging to verify their functions in wound healing in large animals and humans.Especially for some functionalized dressings that use nanoparticles and nanodevices，the biological safety of these materials needs to be further verified to ensure that they will not be greatly affected because of leakage and shedding issues.In addition，the development of more convenient and low-cost preparative methods for these functionalized polymer dressings to come true still requires the in-depth crossover and cooperation of scientists and engineers from materials science，clinical medicine，and related industries.With the integration of different disciplines and the rapid development of materials science，interface science，nanodevices，and other related fields，we believe that in the near future，more functionalized polymer dressings will appear and be used in clinical treatment，and ultimately benefiting the patients.(https://www.daowen.com)