Through the execution of scientific innovations, “smart materials” are shaping the future of technology by interacting and responding to changes in our environment. To make this a successful reality, proper component selection, synthesis procedures, and functional active agents must converge in practical and resource-efficient procedures to lay the foundations for a profitable and sustainable industry. Here we show how the reaction time, temperature, and surface stabilizer concentration impact the most promising functional properties in a cotton-based fabric coated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@cotton), i.e., the thermal and bactericidal response. The coating quality was characterized and linked to the selected synthesis parameters and correlated by a parallel description of “proof of concept” experiments for the differential heat transfer (conversion and dissipation properties) and the bactericidal response tested against reference bacteria and natural bacterial populations (from a beach, cenote, and swamp of the Yucatan Peninsula). The quantification of functional responses allowed us to establish the relationship between (i) the size and shape of the AgNPs, (ii) the collective response of their agglomerates, and (iii) the thermal barrier role of a surface modifier as PVP. The procedures and evaluations in this work enable a spectrum of synthesis coordinates that facilitate the formulation of application-modulated fabrics, with grounded examples reflected in “smart packaging”, “smart clothing”, and “smart dressing”.

Healing wounds and skin lesions has been practiced since ancient times, and various mechanisms have been used to treat them, ranging from bandages and herbs to ointments and modern alternatives such as dressings. This work aimed to develop bioactive dressings for wound healing. Dressings were prepared using the solution-drained plate technique and comprised 2% (w/v) sodium alginate with varying concentrations of Melipona beecheii honey, up to 5% (w/v). The dressings obtained showed suitable flexibility and elongation as the honey content increased, and had a suitable thickness for skin application, ranging from 0.03 to 0.21 mm. They were also evaluated for barrier, optical, structural, thermal, morphological, bioactive, and cytotoxic properties. The dressings demonstrated good moisture absorption and maintained antimicrobial activity for up to 12 months. Moreover, they retained bioactive compounds, demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, and showed biocompatibility in biological assays. The dressings did not induce cytotoxic effects in human keratinocytes. Dressing with a 2.5% honey concentration exhibited physicochemical and bioactive properties that could improve skin wound healing.