A rose bengal/graphene oxide/PVA hybrid hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties and light-triggered antibacterial activity for wound treatment

Abstract The numerous advantages of hydrogel make it possible to apply as dressing. However, it is challenging in designing hydrogels with desired antibacterial activity and enhanced mechanical properties at the same time. Herein, a graphene oxide/rose bengal/polyvinyl alcohol hybrid hydrogel (β-GO/RB/PVA HD) is prepared by freezing and thawing a mixed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution of rose bengal (RB) immobilized with chitosan microspheres (CM) and a modified graphene oxide network (β-GO). The mechanical properties and light-triggered antibacterial activity of hydrogel are systematically evaluated. The β-GO inorganic network interpenetrate into the PVA porous structure, which significantly improves the mechanical properties of hydrogel. The hyperthermia generated by β-GO under 808 nm light irradiation combined with reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by RB under 550 nm light irradiation give rise to excellent antibacterial activity requiring irradiation for only 10 min as demonstrated by our experiments conducted in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, β-GO/RB/PVA HD exhibits outstanding biocompatibility and water-absorbing capacity. More importantly, the hybrid hydrogel can significantly accelerate bacteria-accompanied wound healing. The results demonstrated that the hybrid hydrogel could be a promising wound dressing for preventing bacterial infection.