Aug 2026· Biomaterials Advances· Vol 189, pp.
215128
· 0 citations· 58 references
Medicine
TL;DR
This work presents a mechanically robust, highly efficient, and exceptionally safe light-activated platform for advanced wound dressing applications and demonstrates strict biosafety without collateral phototoxicity.
Abstract
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hydrogels hold great promise for biomedical applications but are hampered by limited mechanical strength and insufficient antibacterial efficacy. In this work, oxygen-deficient black titanium dioxide (BTiO2) nanoparticles were incorporated into a chitosan/PVA matrix via a translation-oriented, chemical-crosslinker-free freeze-thaw strategy to construct a nanocomposite hydrogel. Serving as robust physical cross-linking nodes, the BTiO2 nanoparticles densified the porous network, markedly reducing the average surface pore size from 62.5 μm to 31.4 μm, enhancing the storage modulus from 1.12 kPa to 1.97 kPa, and ensuring exceptional thermal stability up to 60 °C. Consequently, the hydrogel achieved a tensile strength of 230 kPa, representing a 248% improvement over pristine PVA, while regulating the equilibrium swelling ratio to an optimal 985% for effective wound exudate management. Furthermore, the nanocomposite demonstrated a controllable in vitro enzymatic degradation profile, retaining 87.8% of its mass over 7 days to provide sustained structural support. The introduction of BTiO2 endowed the hydrogel with potent synergistic photothermal and photodynamic capabilities. Under 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation (0.5 W/cm2) for 5 min, the localized temperature rapidly reached a mild 45 °C with the simultaneous generation of both Type I and Type II reactive oxygen species (ROS). This propelled the antibacterial efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) to 98.6% and 99.0%, respectively. Crucially, despite this excellent biocidal activity, the hydrogel exhibited an extremely low hemolysis rate of 0.95%, actively supported HUVEC proliferation, and demonstrated strict biosafety without collateral phototoxicity. This work presents a mechanically robust, highly efficient, and exceptionally safe light-activated platform for advanced wound dressing applications.
The integration of electroresponsive materials, natural bioactive constituents, and electrical stimulation provides a promising multifunctional platform for electrically assisted wound management.
Zhong-Xiang Tang, Bin Wu, Ying-Jia Shi et al.· Polymer Bulletin· 0 citations
Results establish PDA-mediated non-covalent reinforcement as an effective crosslinker-free strategy for engineering thermoresponsive hydrogels with tunable network mechanics and controllable NIR-responsive drug transport for localized chemo-photothermal therapy.
Danielle Dalman, Quang Nhat Quynh Vo, Abdelrahman I. Rezk et al.· Journal of Colloid and Inter...· 0 citations
Optimizing conventional hydrogels is crucial for their broader and more effective biomedical applications. This study aims to enhance the mechanical properties and biofunctions of physically crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels by introducing silica (SiO
2
) and Pluronic 127 (F127), eventually resulting in a novel PVA‐SiO
2
‐F127 composite hydrogel with a weight ratio of 7:3:5. The obtained hydrogels exhibited a super‐hydrophilic surface (contact angle of ~0°) and a more compact network than pure PVA hydrogels, as confirmed by the SEM analysis. The addition of SiO
2
effectively improved the compatibility between PVA and F127 through mutual hydrogen bonding, which was verified by the FT‐IR results. Meanwhile, it endowed the PVA hydrogels with an excellent ability to form bone‐like apatite. The further incorporation of F127 enhanced the compressive strength of the PVA hydrogels by 144% (from 0.09 to 0.22 MPa at 70% strain) and accelerated the weight loss from 11.1% to 31.5% over 10 days in PBS, while maintaining a high swelling capacity of 616.7%. In addition, the feasibility of the composite hydrogel as a carrier of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was evaluated at different temperatures (4°C, 25°C, 37°C, and 45°C). Results revealed a temperature‐dependent, sustained BSA release profile over 240 h, with an optimal release behavior at 37°C (body temperature). The release kinetics were synergistically controlled by diffusion and erosion processes. Compared to PVA hydrogels, the composite hydrogels minimized the initial burst release and prolonged the stability of BSA over extended periods, thereby highlighting their potential applications in wound healing and tissue engineering.
Yan-Qi Li, Jin-Heng Liu, Guangxin Wang et al.· Polymer Engineering & Sc...· 0 citations
This study examines the physicochemical properties of a hydrogel composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bacterial cellulose (BC), modified with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) previously synthesised via green methods using Lactobacillus acidophilus UCM B-2691. The effects of composition on moisture content, sorption behavior, and moisture desorption were assessed, and the density of the obtained samples was investigated. Increasing the bacterial cellulose content in hydrogels enhances their hydrophilicity, water-holding capacity, and sorption properties. The incorporated AgNPs are not released from the hydrogels and do not exhibit antimicrobial activity; instead, they promote the formation of a more porous, structurally stable network, which enhances sorption and lowers density. PVA/BC hydrogels containing 40–60% BC and AgNPs showed the best overall performance, combining high hydrophilicity, structural stability, and porosity. The results indicate the high potential of these hydrogel systems for biomedical technologies, particularly in controlled drug delivery and tissue engineering.
Mykola Fedko, I. Liashok, Volodymyr Khomenko et al.· Journal of Biomimetics, Biom...· 0 citations
A polyacrylic acid/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel fabricated via self‐catalyzed free radical polymerization, with borax serving as the reinforcing phase, achieves synergistic antibacterial and intelligent responsive therapeutic performances, providing a reliable and high‐efficiency candidate for advanced wound care and next‐generation wound dressing applications.
Lin-Han Hu, Zheng Yang, Xinwei Tao et al.· Macromolecular Bioscience· 0 citations
Flexible hydrogel-based sensors have attracted considerable attention for applications in human motion monitoring, health management, electronic skin, and human-machine interaction. However, it remains challenging to develop hydrogel-based strain sensors that simultaneously possess good mechanical properties, self-adhesion, self-healing capability, and antibacterial activity. Herein, polydopamine-coated cellulose nanofibers (CNF@PDA) and polyaniline (PANI) were incorporated into a polyacrylamide (PAM) network to fabricate a multifunctional CNF@PDA/PANI(x)/PAM (CPPxP) hydrogel. The introduction of CNF@PDA not only enhances the mechanical strength and adhesion of the hydrogel, but also improves the dispersion stability of PANI, thereby contributing to enhanced conductivity and sensing stability. As a result, the obtained hydrogel exhibits a tensile strength of 0.073 MPa, an elongation at break of 859.3%, excellent self-healing capability, an adhesion strength of 42.73 kPa on porcine skin, and good antibacterial activity. Importantly, the hydrogel can be used as a strain sensor with high sensitivity (GF = 7.95), a rapid response of 120 ms, and excellent durability over 500 cycles. The sensor is capable of monitoring both subtle and large human motions, highlighting its great potential for applications in flexible wearable devices and intelligent sensing systems.
Yushan Zou, Lishi Wei, An Yang et al.· Carbohydrate Polymers· 0 citations