Skin-adaptable, highly stretchable, and self-debonding hydrogel dressings for accelerating infected wound healing...

Damaged skin is highly susceptible to bacterial infections, often leading to subsequent inflammation. Although hydrogel dressings have been shown to address these issues, many exhibit inadequate wet adhesion, flexibility, and pain-free removability. These shortcomings may result in bleeding and further damage during dressing changes. To overcome these limitations, a stretchable and controllable adhesive hydrogel has been developed to facilitate the healing of infected wounds. This hydrogel incorporates molybdenum disulfide nanotubes coated with a tannic acid-iron complex (MoS₂@TA/Fe NTs) into a copolymer network composed of acrylic acid, 1-vinylimidazole, and N-succinimidyl acrylate. Hydrogen bonding between imidazole and carboxyl groups enhances the stability and tensile strength of the hydrogel. The hydrogel exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, enabling close adhesion to wet tissues. The imidazole groups interact with zinc ions, allowing for tunable adhesion, thereby effectively mitigating secondary damage upon dressing removal. Furthermore, the imidazole moieties disrupt bacterial cell membrane permeability, which, in combination with the photothermal antibacterial activity of MoS₂@TA/Fe NTs, effectively eradicates wound infections. The nanozyme-like activity of MoS₂@TA/Fe NTs scavenges excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the wound microenvironment. The hydrogel dressing promotes neovascularization and accelerates collagen deposition at the wound site, thereby significantly enhancing wound healing. Consequently, this multifunctional hydrogel exhibits great potential in the treatment of infected wounds.