Tunable physio-adhesive gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan based hydrogels for hemostatic and accelerated wound healing

Strongly adhesive hydrogels show great promise for wound management yet frequently induce secondary tissue damage during dressing removal. To overcome this limitation, we designed a cationic hydrogel dressing with self-regulating adhesion using gelatin/carboxymethyl chitosan and MPTAC through UV-initiated crosslinking. The hydrogel achieved robust initial adhesion (8.39 ± 0.59 kPa) via electrostatic interactions with negatively charged skin surfaces, which progressively decreased to 2.21 ± 0.36 kPa over 7 days, enabling painless detachment. The material demonstrated a compressive strength exceeding 70 kPa, effective fluid absorption capacity, and potent antibacterial activity (>99 % against S. aureus ). It significantly accelerated hemostasis, reducing clotting time to 62.96 ± 3.95 s, and promoted wound healing in a full-thickness defect model, achieving 62 % wound closure within 7 days. These findings highlight the translational potential of this smart hydrogel as a next-generation wound dressing that combines secure wound protection with on-demand, trauma-free removal.