Molecularly anchored silver in folate supramolecular hydrogels

Infected wounds demand advanced dressings that simultaneously eradicate pathogens and accelerate healing, yet conventional silver carriers suffer from cytotoxic burst release and retarded tissue healing. We overcome this dilemma by creating a supramolecular folate‑silver (F-Ag) hydrogel through aqueous coordination self-assembly. With Ag⁺ being dynamically immobilized in between the fibers of folate tetramers, the hydrogel exerts both immediate bactericidal action and sustained antimicrobial activity over 1 weak. The sustained releasing of Ag⁺ and folate in the wounds enables faster epithelial closure than commercial dressings. This work establishes a new paradigm for the application of Ag⁺ as sustained biocompatible bactericidal drug with spatiotemporal control.