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High-strength, conductive, double-network self-healing antibacterial hydrogel based on the coordination bond and dynamic imine bond

Polymer Journal (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Multifunctional hydrogel materials are being increasingly used in wearable sensing devices and biomedical applications, but the comprehensive performance of hydrogel materials must be further developed. To prepare hydrogels with better self-healing properties, biomacromolecules such as sodium alginate and carboxymethyl chitosan were used as raw materials by combining the dynamic imine bonding network formed by both materials with the coordination bonding network formed by acrylic acid and aluminum ions. The double network structure of the hydrogel provides the hydrogel with excellent self-healing properties (up to 127% recovery of toughness after self-healing) and good mechanical properties with a fracture strain of 3787%. Substances with antimicrobial properties in the hydrogel network inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. In addition, the hydrogel has good electrical conductivity with a conductivity of 1.41 S/m. This study examined multiple properties of the hydrogel and provides a reference for the application of this material in practical application scenarios.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42076193) and the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau (202002N3061).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Zhejiang Agricultural Business College, Shaoxing, 312000, People’s Republic of China

    Yalei Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, People’s Republic of China

    Junfang Chang, Zhiyong Guo & Sui Wang

  3. Department of Basic, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, China

    Jie Mao

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Correspondence to Sui Wang.

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High strength, conductive, double network self-healing antibacterial hydrogel based on coordination bond and dynamic imine bond

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Liu, Y., Chang, J., Guo, Z. et al. High-strength, conductive, double-network self-healing antibacterial hydrogel based on the coordination bond and dynamic imine bond. Polym J (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-024-00957-y

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