Controllable Preparation and Research Progress of Photosensitive Antibacterial Complex Hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels are materials consisting of a network of hydrophilic polymers. Due to their good biocompatibility and hydrophilicity, they are widely used in biomedicine, food safety, environmental protection, agriculture, and other fields. This paper summarizes the typical complex materials of photocatalysts, photosensitizers, and hydrogels, as week as their antibacterial activities and the basic mechanisms of photothermal and photodynamic effects. In addition, the application of hydrogel-based photoresponsive materials in microbial inactivation is discussed, including the challenges faced in their application. The advantages of photosensitive antibacterial complex hydrogels are highlighted, and their application and research progress in various fields are introduced in detail.

In Situ Single-Cell Bacterial Imaging Provides Mechanistic Insight into the Photodynamic Action of Photosensitizer-Loaded Hydrogels

“…These materials are becoming important as a promising solution for wound management due to their tunability, softness, permeability, biocompatibility, or biodegradability. − In the context of drug delivery, hydrogels benefit from their porosity, which enables drug encapsulation within a 3D polymeric network. Some antibacterial hydrogels have been particularly valuable in the context of light-induced therapies such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). − aPDT combines light, molecular oxygen, and a photosensitizer to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that oxidize lipids, proteins, DNA, and other biomolecules, leading to bacterial inactivation. − Good transparency is, therefore, needed for hydrogels to perform well in aPDT, especially for wound dressing applications, and previous work has focused on optimizing their optical properties. , It was shown that electron-beam polymerized polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels have a higher transmittance over a broader wavelength range compared to their UV-cured counterparts, reaching values well above 90% …”