Antibacterial chitosan-gelatin-PEG incorporated with ZiF-8 hydrogels as bioactive wound dressing for wound healing application.

Hydrogels with potential antibacterial and hemocompatibility characteristics are necessary to accelerate skin wound repair. Hydrogels offer significant advantages in wound dressings due to their remarkable structural and functional properties. This project involved the development of composite hydrogels incorporating ZiF-8 integrated into a polymeric matrix comprising chitosan, gelatin, and PEG to enhance wound healing. The structural, morphological, and thermal characteristics of these hydrogels were examined using FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and thermal analysis. Their physicochemical properties were studied by swelling in deionised water and PBS media, while their hydrophilic behaviour was investigated via water contact angle measurements. These exhibit significant antibacterial properties and were tested against several bacterial strains, demonstrating hemocompatibility. Fibroblast cells were utilized to evaluate the biocompatibility of hydrogels, confirming cytocompatibility with an established cellular morphology. All the hydrogels exhibited different antibacterial, hemocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and wound-healing properties; however, CGP-ZiF8-240 exhibited excellent biological activities. In summary, the CGP-ZiF8-240 hydrogel serves as an excellent dressing material that facilitates the healing of skin injuries.