Physical Contact-Triggered In Situ Reactivation of Antibacterial Hydrogels

Abstract

In situ reactivation of hydrogels remains a long-standing key challenge in chemistry and materials science. Herein, we first report an ultraconvenient in situ renewable antibacterial hydrogel prepared via a facile physical contact-triggered strategy based on an ultrafast chlorine transfer pathway. We discover that the as-proposed hydrogel with a programmable 3D network cross-linked by noncovalent bonds and physical interactions can serve as a smart platform for selective active chlorine transfer at the hydrogel/hydrogel interface. Systematic experiments and density functional theory prove that the N-halamine glycopolymers integrated into the hydrogel system work as a specific renewable biocide, permitting the final hydrogel to be recharged in situ within 1 min under ambient conditions. Due to its strength and durability, pathogen specificity, and biocompatibility, coupled with its rapid in situ reactivation, this antibacterial hydrogel holds great potential for in vivo biomedical use and circulating water disinfection. We envision this proposed strategy will pave a new avenue for the development of in situ renewable smart hydrogels for real-world applications.