One-step fabrication of adhesive, stable, and antioxidant polylipoic acid hydrogels for wound healing

Lipoic acid-based hydrogels are considered promising candidates for wound dressings due to their antioxidant properties. However, their practical application has been hindered by complex and time-consuming fabrication methods. To address this limitation, a novel oscillation-driven strategy was developed for the rapid and energy-efficient preparation of lipoic acid@polyethyleneimine-x-poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate-y-protocatechualdehyde-z (LA@PEI_x-G_yA_z) hydrogels. In detail, the polymerization of lipoic acid (LA) is initiated by polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form polylipoic acid (PolyLA), which is stabilized by poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and protocatechualdehyde (PA). Gelation was completed within minutes without requiring external thermal or photoactivation. Additionally, a controlled reverse closed-loop depolymerization process was employed to optimize the hydrogel's mechanical properties, producing a soft and adhesive material suitable for tissue application. In this system, a three-dimensional scaffold was formed by PolyLA, while liberated LA monomers served as bioactive components. Our experimental results demonstrate that the LA@PEI_x-G_yA_z hydrogel not only exhibits superior skin adhesion, with an average strength of 23.45 ± 1.78 kPa, but also effectively alleviates oxidative stress and presents antibacterial performance. Moreover, the hydrogel shows a promoting effect on wound healing in a rat model.