A controlled light-induced gas-foaming porous hydrogel with adhesion property for infected wound healing

Porous hydrogels as scaffolds have great potential in tissue engineering. However, there are still challenges in preparing porous hydrogels with tunable pore size and controlled porosity. Here, we successfully established a photoinduced gas-foaming method of porous hydrogels with controlled macro-micro-nano multiscale. A diazirine (DZ)-modified gelatin (GelDZ) biomaterial was prepared by introducing photocrosslinked DZ group into gelatin. Upon exposure to 365 nm UV light, DZ could be converted to the active group carbene, which could randomly insert into OH, NH, or CH bonds to form covalent crosslinks. GelDZ generated N₂ by photodegradation and formed gas-induced porous hydrogels by intermolecular crosslinking without initiator. The loose porous structure of the hydrogel can promote the infiltration of host cells and blood vessels, which was conducive to tissue repair. The interfacial crosslinking of photoactivated GelDZ with tissue proteins imparted adhesion properties to the hydrogel. GelDZ also possessed photoreduction ability, which can reduce silver ions from metal precursors to silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in situ, and showed great antibacterial activity due to the sustained release of Ag NPs. GelDZ-Ag NPs prepared by in situ photoreaction can effectively inhibit wound infection and promote skin wound healing, providing a new strategy for designing porous hydrogel in tissue engineering.