Construction and Performance of Conductive Triple-Network Hydrogel Dressing

Abstract

 Chronic wounds present significant clinical challenges due to factors such as microbial infection and an imbalanced healing microenvironment, making the healing process difficult and necessitating the development of novel dressings capable of providing both dynamic biological therapy and electrical signal modulation. However, existing hydrogel materials still face considerable difficulties in integrating multiple functionalities, including bioactivity, mechanical flexibility, conductivity, and stimuli-responsive release. To address this, this study proposes a multi-network synergistic design strategy. By combining carboxymethyl agarose (CMA), sodium alginate (SA), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and incorporating multivalent ions Ca2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+, a triple-network hydrogel (CaPSC-MZ) with ion-conductive and pH-responsive ion-release capabilities has been successfully constructed. The results demonstrate that through the modification of agarose and the multi-network structural design, the CaPSC-MZ hydrogel exhibits an average pore size of approximately 91.47 μm, providing favorable swelling properties (50.07%) and a high water retention capacity (13.13%). The CaPSC-MZ hydrogel also demonstrates excellent foldability. Moreover, the release of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+is enhanced under acidic conditions, achieving a conductivity of up to 24.81 mS/cm. Additionally, CCK-8 experiments confirm that the CaPSC-MZ hydrogel exhibits excellent biocompatibility and promotes cell proliferation. Therefore, this study provides a new material design strategy for developing smart wound dressings with integrated electrical conduction, dynamic therapeutic functionality, and mechanically adaptive properties, showing promising potential in the field of wound management.