Clay-based nanocomposite hydrogels with microstructures and sustained ozone release for antibacterial activity

Loading hydrogels with ozone for antibacterial activity is an important research topic for expanding clinical applications. In particular, hydrogel network constructs and storage and controlled release of massive ozone amounts are research emphases. In this paper, a nanoclay crosslinked nanocomposite hydrogel with a bionic three-dimensional porous network structure formed by two-dimensional lamellar montmorillonite was incorporated into polyacrylamide through a crosslinking reaction, which provided enhanced mechanical properties and abundant ozone adsorption sites. The clay-based nanocomposite hydrogel had the enlarged pore structure (11.7 µm) and a stable Young's modulus (75.82 GPa), which also provided a guarantee for the highly ozone adsorption capacity. The nanocomposite exhibited timely bactericidal and long-term antibacterial effects on Staphylococcus aureus , which provides ideas for the development and application of inexpensive clay minerals in the biomedical antibacterial field.