Fabrication of mechanically processable gelatin-based hydrogel adhesives via a rehydration method for enhanced...

This study developed a specialized method for preparing gelatin-based hydrogels via an aerogel rehydration strategy. This approach uses quench freezing followed by freeze-drying to fabricate an aerogel (p-GA aerogel) while preserving the disordered structure. This disordered structure allows the aerogel to fully hydrate in a saturated vapor atmosphere with robust hydrogen bond and lower ΔH, transforming into a hydrogel (p-GA hydrogel) with controlled water content. The resulting p-GA hydrogel exhibits robust adhesion, self-healing ability, water resistance, and frequency-responsive viscoelastic behavior. Notably, it shows unique mechanical processability and enables the loading of functional components through simple physical blending, thus allowing functional extension, which demonstrated by the preparation of a p-GA/BSP hydrogel. Cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility tests confirm the biosafety of the material. In rat liver and tail incision models, the p-GA/BSP hydrogel displays rapid and effective hemostasis. In vivo wound-healing experiments further show that the hydrogel promotes wound closure, guides ordered collagen deposition, and accelerates tissue maturation. This work not only offers a simple and controllable hydrogel preparation strategy but also provides a novel platform for developing next-generation biomedical dressings.