High-strength, conductive, double-network self-healing antibacterial hydrogel based on the coordination bond and dynamic imine bond

Multifunctional hydrogel materials are being increasingly used in wearable sensing devices and biomedical applications, but the comprehensive performance of hydrogel materials must be further developed. To prepare hydrogels with better self-healing properties, biomacromolecules such as sodium alginate and carboxymethyl chitosan were used as raw materials by combining the dynamic imine bonding network formed by both materials with the coordination bonding network formed by acrylic acid and aluminum ions. The double network structure of the hydrogel provides the hydrogel with excellent self-healing properties (up to 127% recovery of toughness after self-healing) and good mechanical properties with a fracture strain of 3787%. Substances with antimicrobial properties in the hydrogel network inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. In addition, the hydrogel has good electrical conductivity with a conductivity of 1.41 S/m. This study examined multiple properties of the hydrogel and provides a reference for the application of this material in practical application scenarios. Sodium alginate and carboxymethyl chitosan were used as raw materials, and the dynamic imine bonding network formed by the two was combined with the coordination bonding network formed by acrylic acid and aluminum ions. The dual-network structure of the hydrogel not only gives the hydrogel excellent self-healing properties, but also gives the hydrogel excellent mechanical properties, with a strain at break as high as 3787%. In addition, the hydrogel has the antibacterial property of inhibiting the growth of E. coli and S. aureus and good electrical conductivity.