A novel dual-network antibacterial hydrogel based on silver ion cross-linked thiolated gelatin and sodium alginate

The bacterial infection is a major issue in the field of chronic wound healing. It is important to design a hydrogel material with good biocompatibility, water retention and antibacterial properties for the problem of bacterial infection. In this work, a dual-network antibacterial hydrogel (GSAH) with Ag+, thiolized gelatin (Gel-SH) and sodium alginate (SA) was prepared. Gel-SH formed the first network of the hydrogel through metal coordination bonds with Ag+. The metal coordination bonds between SA and Ag+ formed the second network. The compressive stress of GSAH was 660.95 KPa, and the swelling equilibrium was reached at 12 h with a swelling rate of 10.4%. The complete degradation of the hydrogel within 24 h indicated its biodegradability. The antibacterial results showed that the inhibition zones of GSAH against E. coli and S. aureus were 17.2 ± 1.6 mm and 9.5 ± 0.5 mm, respectively. GSAH holds potential for antibacterial dressing in the biomedical field.