Injectable Self-Healing Hydrogel with Antimicrobial and Antifouling Properties.

Microbial adhesion, biofilm formation and associated microbial infection are common challenges faced by implanted biomaterials (e.g., hydrogels) in bioengineering applications. In this work, an injectable self-healing hydrogel with antimicrobial and antifouling properties was prepared through self-assembly of an ABA triblock copolymer employing catechol functionalized polyethylene glycol (PEG) as A block and poly{[2-(methacryloyloxy)-ethyl] trimethylammonium iodide}(PMETA) as B block. This hydrogel exhibits excellent thermosensitivity, and can effectively inhibit the growth of E. coli (>99.8% killing efficiency) and prevent cell attachment. It can also heal autonomously from repeated damage, through mussel-inspired catechol-mediated hydrogen bonding and aromatic interactions, exhibiting great potential in bioengineering applications.

Novel mussel-inspired injectable self-healing hydrogel with anti-biofouling property.

A novel mussel-inspired injectable hydrogel with self-healing and anti-biofouling capabilities is developed and it possesses great potential as a drug-delivery carrier. The hydrogel can heal autonomously from repeated structural damage and also effectively prevent non-specific cell attachment and biofilm formation.