Work

Hydrogels With Nanostructured and Antimicrobial Properties Prepared by the One‐Pot Method Performance for Potential Use as Wearable Sensors

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Conventional polymer‐based wearable sensors face critical limitations including bacterial colonization susceptibility, mechanical strain‐induced signal drift, and compromised biocompatibility, hindering reliable wound diagnostics. Although nanostructured antimicrobial agents and interpenetrating networks offer partial solutions, the synergistic mechanisms ensuring concurrent signal stability, rapid response, and persistent antimicrobial efficacy remain unexplored. Here, a biomass‐derived hydrogel with dual functionality was engineered through molecular design, wherein topologically confined antimicrobial Fe‐tannic acid coordination nanoparticles (FTCN) were incorporated within a dynamically crosslinked matrix. A self‐reinforcing interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), designated QAAHK, was prepared by thermally initiated free‐radical copolymerization of AM, AA, HEMA, and KH570, together with quaternized chitosan (QCS) providing cationic domains. The resulting structure comprises an interpenetrated system of a covalent poly(AM‐AA‐HEMA‐KH570) network (AAHK) and electrostatically assembled QCS regions. The resulting multifunctional hydrogel achieves: 1) exceptional strain sensing (GF = 7.80, τ = 0.143 s), 2) potent antimicrobial efficacy (>99.9% inhibition against E. coli ; >99.5% against S. aureus within 24 h), and 3) inherent biocompatibility. These integrated breakthroughs demonstrate unprecedented potential for clinical‐grade wound monitoring systems requiring infection‐resistance and motion‐adaptive signal fidelity.

Source: Advanced Materials Technologies

DOI: 10.1002/admt.202502035