Flexible Bicolorimetric Polyacrylamide/Chitosan Hydrogels for Smart Real‐Time Monitoring and Promotion of Wound Healing

Abstract

Real‐time monitoring of wound healing remains a major challenge in clinical tissue regeneration, calling the need for the development of biomaterial‐guided on‐site monitoring wound healing technology. In this study, multifunctional double colorimetry‐integrated polyacrylamide‐quaternary ammonium chitosan‐carbon quantum dots (CQDs)‐phenol red hydrogels are presented, aiming to simultaneously detect the wound pH level, reduce bacterial infection, and promote wound healing. The hybridization of CQDs and pH indicator (phenol red) with the hydrogels enables their high responsiveness, reversibility, and accurate indication of pH variability to reflect the dynamic wound status in the context of both ultraviolet and visible light. Furthermore, these visual images can be collected by smartphones and converted into on‐site wound pH signals, allowing for a real‐time evaluation of the wound dynamic conditions in a remote approach. Notably, the hydrogels exhibit excellent hemostatic and adhesive properties, maintain sufficient wound moisture, and promote wound healing via their high antibacterial activity (against Staphylococcus Aureus, and Escherichia Coli) and skin repair function. Overall, the resulting hydrogels have high potential as a novel smart and flexible wound dressing platform for theranostic skin regeneration.

Recent Advances in Bioengineered Scaffolds for Cutaneous Wound Healing

“…They took advantage of regenerative immunotherapy, and demonstrated that the hydrogel could upregulate M2 macrophage, which enabled anti-inflammation and stimulated angiogenesis, thereby significantly improving diabetic wound healing. Recently, Zheng et al reported a smart hydrogel fabricated from polyacrylamide-quaternary ammonium chitosan-carbon quantum dots-phenol red system to monitor and treat wound healing ( Zheng K. et al, 2021 ). The hydrogel had antibacterial activities, and its coupling with pH-responsive carbon quantum dots and phenol red indicator enabled it to detect the pH changes of the wound, thereby indirectly monitoring the real-time wound healing process through the change of color in a noninvasive way.…”

Biomaterials for Helicobacter pylori therapy: therapeutic potential and future perspectives

“…The results showed that these delivery systems exhibit targeted drug delivery to gastric sites for the treatment of H. pylori , along with a suitable drug-release pattern. 121 Chitosan exhibits excellent adhesion and antibacterial properties, 122 and chitosan microspheres impart a good loading capacity and controlled-release capability to delivery systems, along with specific adhesion to H. pylori . 123 , 124 Gonçalves et al reported that chitosan microspheres exhibit the highest adherence to H. pylori at pH 6, and the microspheres are significantly more effective against BabA/SabA + H. pylori (76% reduction) strain than the BabA + /SabA H. pylori strain (50% reduction).…”

A Review of Recent Advances in Flexible Wearable Sensors for Wound Detection Based on Optical and Electrical Sensing

“…The use of smartphones can not only achieve in vivo monitoring but also perform real-time remote evaluations. Zheng et al [ 154 ] presented multifunctional double colorimetry-integrated polyacrylamide–quaternary ammonium chitosan–carbon quantum dots (CQDs)–phenol red hydrogels to detect the wound pH level ( Figure 6 c). In the context of both ultraviolet and visible light, on-site wound pH signals could be accurately indicated through the RGB analysis of the images collected by smartphones; thus, dynamic wound status could be reflected for a real-time evaluation in a remote approach.…”

“…Copyright (2019) John Wiley and Sons. ( c ) A remote approach of dynamic wound status evaluation with the RGB analysis of the images collected by smartphones [ 154 ]. Copyright (2021) John Wiley and Sons.…”