Poly(phenol-imidazole) nanosheets engineered multifunctional hydrogel for promotion of infected diabetic wound healing

Lignin-derived poly(phenol-imidazole) nanosheets (pims) were synthesized. • Pims served as a multi-task nanofiller in composite hydrogel. • Composite hydrogel showed a marked promotion of infected diabetic wound healing. The management of chronic wounds continues to pose a significant clinical challenge and remains a focal point of extensive research. In this study, we present a multifunctional composite strategy utilizing rationally engineered two-dimensional (2D) nanofillers for the fabrication of advanced wound dressings tailored to address the complex microenvironment characteristic of chronic wounds. Specifically, a biocompatible thermo-responsive hydrogel was integrated with a 2D nanofiller densely functionalized with phenolic hydroxyl and imidazole groups, thereby imparting four principal functionalities: enhanced and tunable mechanical properties, remotely controllable mechanical adaptability, photothermal antibacterial effects, and antioxidant activity. This multifunctional composite hydrogel dressing demonstrated a marked acceleration of wound healing in a diabetic infected wound model. Moreover, transcriptomic analyses revealed its capacity to modulate the host inflammatory response, underscoring its promising therapeutic potential for chronic wound management. The findings of this study are anticipated to contribute a paradigm for the advancement of functional nanomaterials intended for biomedical applications. Download: Download high-res image (52KB) Download: Download full-size image