Biomimetic Antibacterial Gelatin Hydrogels with Multifunctional Properties for Biomedical Applications

• Published in: ACS applied materials & interfaces Vol. 15; no. 47; pp. 54249 - 54265
• Main Authors: Ruan, Hengzhi, Bek, Marko, Pandit, Santosh, Aulova, Alexandra, Zhang, Jian, Bjellheim, Philip, Lovmar, Martin, Mijakovic, Ivan, Kádár, Roland
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 29.11.2023
• Subjects: antibacterial materials; biomimetic strategy; gelatin; hydrogel coating
• ISSN: 1944-8244; 1944-8252; 1944-8252
• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10477

A facile novel approach of introducing dopamine and [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide via dopamine-triggered in situ synthesis into gelatin hydrogels in the presence of ZnSO4 is presented in this study. Remarkably, the resulting hydrogels showed 99.99 and 100% antibacterial efficiency against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, making them the highest performing surfaces in their class. Furthermore, the hydrogels showed adhesive properties, self-healing ability, antifreeze properties, electrical conductivity, fatigue resistance, and mechanical stability from -100 to 80 °C. The added multifunctional performance overcomes several disadvantages of gelatin-based hydrogels such as poor mechanical properties and limited thermostability. Overall, the newly developed hydrogels show significant potential for numerous biomedical applications, such as wearable monitoring sensors and antibacterial coatings.