A Double-Crosslinked Self-Healing Antibacterial Hydrogel with Good Mechanical Performance for Wound Treatment

Abstract

Self-healing hydrogel systems usually suffer from poor mechanical performance stemmed from weaker and reversible non-covalent interactions or dynamic chemical bonds, which hamper their practical applications. This issue is addressed by adopting a double-crosslinking design via employing both dynamic Schiff base bonds and non-dynamic photo-induced crosslinking. This leads to the formation of a special topological structure which simultaneously provide good self-healing capability (healing efficiency of 73.5%) and good mechanical performance (good elastic recovery and tensile modulus of 157.4 kPa, close to modulus of native skin). The quaternary ammonium and protonated amino groups can provide superior antibacterial capability, while Schiff base formation between residual aldehyde groups and amino groups on tissue surface contribute to hydrogel’s good adhesion to tissues (5.9 kPa). Furthermore, the multifunctional hydrogel with desirable mechanical performance, self-healing capability, superior antibacterial capability and good tissue adhesion can significantly promote healing of infectious cutaneous wound, tissue remodeling and regeneration.