Cotton-hydrogel composite for improved wound healing: Synthesize optimization and physicochemical characterizationpart 1

Composite wound dressings gather the suitable properties of 2 or more polymeric materials. Thus, the present work aimed to assess the functionalization of cotton textiles with cyclodextrin-hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-based hydrogel by chemical cross-linking. The developed composites were evaluated based on their cross-linking percentage and swelling ability and characterized by FTIR-ATR, DSC, and TGA. The best conditions were achieved using 1-step procedure, 0.54molL(-1) of cross-linking agent and 1:0.1 polymeric solution/textile (v/w). The textile physical structure was, also, a crucial parameter. From the substrates tested, nonwoven composites could accommodate more gel fraction with enhanced swelling. The functionalization of cotton fibers with cyclodextrin-hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-based hydrogel improved cotton water uptake and surface properties, increasing its applicability as wound dressing.