Highly efficient antibacterial hydrogel-based multifunctional coatings for ureteral stent to inhibit severe...

Ureteral stents are prone to encrustation due to urinary crystallization and bacterial infection, leading to severe complications and restricting long-term use. In this study, a multifunctional hydrogel-based coating was developed, which integrates the crosslinking of polyacrylic acid coupled with zinc ions (PAA(Zn^2 +)) possessing antibacterial properties and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) with hydrophilic lubrication properties on the PU stent (PPAZ/PU). This novel PPAZ/PU coating was devised to mitigate the challenges of bacterial infectious encrustation associated with stent placement in clinical settings. The coating was synthesized via complex decomposition and addition polymerization, forming a stable zinc-ion-rich crosslinked network. The intertwining of PVP and PAA(Zn²⁺) molecular chains, along with hydrogen bond formation, enhanced the hydrogel's cohesion and peel strength up to 1000 N/m. The hydrophilicity and lubricity of the PPAZ/PU-coated stent was markedly enhanced for clinical applications, with a reduction in contact angle and friction coefficient by a factor of 3.25 and 2.62, respectively. In vitro antibacterial assays and simulated infectious encrustation experiments revealed that the PPAZ/PU-coated stent had an antibacterial efficacy of over 99 % and halved the surface encrustation per unit area. This PPAZ/PU hydrogel-based coating strategy presents an efficacious solution to the anti-encrustation demands of ureteral stents, particularly in severe urinary tract infection scenarios.