A novel nanocomposite hydrogel with excellent photo-thermal and enhanced antibacterial properties based on China wood oil soot for acute wound healing

A hydrogel intended for potential use in wound dressing necessitates specific properties, including notable self-healing abilities, mechanical durability, and the ability to combat bacteria to address muscle and skin damage effectively. Moreover, the hydrogel must exhibit superior tissue adhesiveness to ensure seamless integration with the wound tissue during practical application scenarios. In this study, a novel photothermal China wood oil soot (CWOS)--based hydrogel (CH) dressing with high-strength and excellent photothermal performance was developed. Unlike traditional synthetic polymer networks, the novel nano-crosslinker fabricated by the CWOS optimized the dispersion of crosslinking points in the polymer network, resulting in outstanding mechanical properties (2000 % stretchability, 1.88 MPa strength). Massively reversible interactions between metal coordination (Ag-S) and hydrogen bonds gave the hydrogel excellent self-healing behavior. Besides excellent adhesiveness and biocompatible ability, the CH hydrogel combined with near-infrared ray radiation endowed highly antibacterial, alleviated inflammation, promoted angiogenesis, and promoted acute wound healing. Briefly, this multifunctional hydrogel can potentially aid wound healing for patients susceptible to bacterial infections. Its versatile properties offer promising prospects for its application in treating acute wounds.