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A facile injectable and self-healing carbon dot/oxidative polysaccharide hydrogel with sustained release capability and potent antibacterial activity

  • Materials for life sciences
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Abstract

Multi-functional hydrogels possess significant potential for use in clinical medical treatments. In this study, we synthesized a polysaccharide hydrogel containing carbon dots (CDs) for the purpose of creating antibacterial dressing candidates. Initially, antibacterial carbon dots (CDBAC) were derived from the calcination of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). CDBAC exhibits rapid interaction with bacterial cell membranes via electrostatic forces, while generating a high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that ultimately lead to membrane disruption. Furthermore, CDBAC has been shown to impede the respiratory function of bacterial mitochondria. Through a combination of various antibacterial mechanisms, CDBAC demonstrates potent bactericidal properties and effectively prevents the development of drug resistance in S. aureus and E. coli. Subsequently, a novel antibacterial hydrogel dressing incorporating CDBAC (referred to as CDBAC-hydrogel) has been synthesized as a potential treatment for wound healing. The gelation process of this hydrogel is attributed to the formation of Schiff-base bonds between the amidogen group of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and the formyl group of oxidized dextran (ODex). The prepared CDBAC-hydrogel demonstrated shear-thinning, self-healing, and injectable properties, as well as the ability to sustainably release CDBAC in a mildly acidic bacterial environment, exhibit potent antibacterial activity, and display excellent biocompatibility. This research offers a novel option for antibacterial dressings.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (No. 2308085QC74, 2108085QE199), Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Educational Committee (No. 2023AH051862, 2022AH051653), Anhui Province Applied Peak Cultivation Discipline (XK-XJGF005) and Research Activity Funding Project for Postdoctoral Researchers in Anhui Province (No. 2023B709, 2021B500), the College Students Innovative Entrepreneurial Training Plan Program (No. S202210879080, 202310879055), the Anhui Science and Technology University Talent Introduction Project (HCYJ202110).

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Author notes

  1. Peili Li, Zhiyue Wang, and Meizhe Yu have contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Anhui Science and Technology University, Bengbu, 233000, China

    Peili Li, Zhiyue Wang, Chen Cheng, Junhua Chen, **ang Ke & Zirong Li

  2. Anhui Deli Household Glass CO., LTD., Chuzhou, 233121, China

    Peili Li & Da Zhang

  3. School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230022, China

    Peili Li & Yunhe Xu

  4. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nan**g University of Science and Technology, Nan**g, 210094, China

    Meizhe Yu

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  1. Peili Li
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Contributions

Peili Li was contributed investigation, writing—original draft, funding acquisition, data curation, and formal analysis. Zhiyue Wang, Chen Cheng, Meizhe Yu, Junhua Chen, Yunhe Xu, and Da Zhang were involved in investigation and formal analysis. **ang Ke and Zirong Li were performed supervision, funding acquisition, conceptualization, and methodology.

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Correspondence to Peili Li, **ang Ke or Zirong Li.

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Li, P., Wang, Z., Yu, M. et al. A facile injectable and self-healing carbon dot/oxidative polysaccharide hydrogel with sustained release capability and potent antibacterial activity. J Mater Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09977-8

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