Facile preparation of hydrogel glue with high strength and antibacterial activity from physically linked network

Constructing plant-based hydrogel glues with outstanding adhesiveness, antibacterial activity and suitable mechanical properties has great practical importance in multiple areas. However, preparation of traditional antibacterial adhesive hydrogels usually requires of complex chemical reactions as well as expensive and toxic ingredients. Here, we develop a type of physically crosslinked hydrogel glues, which contains polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for generating mechanical property, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) for creating adhesion strength and acting as the drug carrier for curcumin (CUR), and silica nanoparticles for resolving the conflict between strength and adhesion within the gel matrix. The physically linked composite showed tunable mechanical strengths ranged from 150 kPa to 560 kPa, as well as high maximum strains up to 380%. Moreover, the composite gel exhibited high swelling ratio and significant antibacterial property. This study demonstrates that the pure physical strategy can be well used to prepare antibacterial hydrogel glues with high performance. The combining of the facile method with conventional and biocompatible materials provides a viable way for fabricating antibacterial hydrogel glues for practical applications.