Physicochemical Dual Cross-Linked Multifunctional Conductive Organohydrogel Sensors for Fireworks Burn Wound Healing...

Conductive hydrogels have garnered significant attention in the realm of future flexible electronic devices due to their properties such as flexibility, electrical conductivity, frost resistance, and biocompatibility. However, the integration of numerous functional applications in the biomedical field still presents notable challenges. In this research, a rigid hard-structured network was formed by cross-linking gallic acid grafted chitosan (CS-GA) and tannic acid (TA) with poly-(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) through physical freezing. The noncovalent hydrogen bonding during the freezing and thawing process facilitated the formation of microcrystalline domains in the amorphous hydrogel network system. Functional proteins from eggshell membrane were cross-linked with tetra-armed poly-(ethylene glycol) maleimide (4am-PEG-MAL) via thiol-olefin click chemistry, and lysozyme was incorporated into the network as an antibacterial component through the nucleophilic substitution reaction. These chemical cross-linking methods resulted in a soft-structured network that enhanced the mechanical properties of the hydrogel (maximum stress of 2.15 MPa and elongation of 605%). The use of ionic liquids/ethylene glycol/water (ILs/EG/H₂O) ternary solvents instead of a single solvent not only provided frost resistance but also imparted excellent electrical conductivity to the hydrogels (0.37 ± 0.04 S/m). Notably, the organohydrogel showed good antimicrobial properties and biocompatibility and was effective in providing emergency cooling after fireworks burns and promoting wet healing of broken skin to minimize scarring. In the biomedical field, this multifunctional hydrogel can serve as a flexible wearable device to monitor the movement amplitude of wounds in real-time, offering a novel approach to deep learning-assisted wound healing. The multifunctional nature of this organohydrogel as a flexible wearable device in the biological field presents promising applications.