Multifunctional self-healing hemicellulose-based hydrogel for antimicrobial wound dressings and motion-responsive wearable sensing

An ideal wound dressing should possess excellent biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, and mechanical robustness. Herein, we report a multifunctional composite hydrogel (HPP) engineered from hemicellulose (HC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polydopamine-modified zinc oxide nanoparticles (PDA@ZnO NPs), synthesized via a facile one-pot approach followed by borax-mediated dynamic crosslinking and a green freeze-thaw cycling process. The dynamic covalent and hydrogen bonding interactions confer the hydrogel with good mechanical strength, rapid self-healing capability, and tissue adhesion. The incorporation of PDA@ZnO NPs imparts pronounced antimicrobial activity, with inhibition rates exceeding 80 % against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , and enhanced antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by a 69.94 % DPPH radical scavenging efficiency. In vitro assays demonstrate good cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and promotion of fibroblast migration, indicating strong potential for wound healing applications. Beyond its biomedical performance, the HPP hydrogel also exhibits strain sensitivity and durability under repeated mechanical deformation, enabling precise monitoring of finger, wrist, arm, and knee joint movements. These results highlight the potential of HPP as a versatile platform for antimicrobial wound dressings and next-generation wearable biosensors.