Double-carrier drug delivery system based on polyurethane-polyvinyl alcohol/layered double hydroxide nanocomposite hydrogel

Abstract

In this work, a biocompatible and stretchable double-carrier drug delivery system was developed for wound dressing application. Quinolone antibiotics enoxacin (ENO) was loaded into Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) first, and then the as-prepared LDH-ENO nanoparticles were incorporated into polyurethane-polyvinyl alcohol (PU-PVA) hydrogel to build a double-carrier drug delivery system. The results suggested that the introduction of the LDH-ENO nanoparticles into PU-PVA network significantly improved the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of PU-PVA hydrogel. The PU-PVA/LDH-ENO nanocomposite hydrogel, as a double-carrier, obviously delayed the release of the ENO molecules. It suggests that PU-PVA/LDH-ENO nanocomposite hydrogel should be a promising candidate for wound healing applications, especially for the healing of chronic wounds.