Synthesis of a novel anti-freezing, non-drying antibacterial hydrogel dressing by one-pot method

Abstract As materials for the promotion of wound healing, hydrogel dressings must be usable for a long time or under extreme conditions. Traditional hydrogel dressings are often used for a short time mainly due to water loss at high temperature or water freezing at low temperature. This paper reports a facile approach to synthesize a novel antibacterial hydrogel wound dressing based on polyvinylpyrrolidone acrylamide 1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate via one-pot method. This hydrogel has cationic groups in the polymer chains and exhibits effective antibacterial and antifungal activity. Furthermore, this hydrogel has anti-freezing, non-drying, and self-healing properties because of its unique molecular structure. Results of wound closure and histopathological examinations demonstrate that the fabricated hydrogel wound dressing effectively promotes the wound healing process in a full-thickness skin defect model. Therefore, this antibacterial hydrogel may be used as a wound healing dressing, even under extreme conditions.