Hydrogel nanocomposites have become the focus of much research in the wound management field due to their swelling properties, tensile strength, and ability to act as a scaffold for cell growth. As wounds secrete, the exudate diffuses into the hydrogel resulting in a wet environment that can propagate skin cell growth while decreasing the chance of infection. Additionally, the nanocomposites can be modified with active components, such as a conductive layer, to elicit a response upon changes in the surrounding environment. This research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of a responsive hydrogel nanocomposite that upon external stimulus enhances its conductive properties and ultimately produces a signal. The synthesized nanocomposite is comprised of a biomimetic, alginate-based hydrogel layer and a cellulose-polyaniline (PANI) conductive layer which acts as the active component by generating a signal upon swelling. As ions diffuse through the alginate layer into the PANI layer, electrons transfer more readily thereby increasing the conductivity of the nanocomposite resulting in a signal via an LED. This signal can be correlated directly with the degree of swell of the hydrogel and therefore indicate when the gel has reached maximum swell capacity. Initial results have shown that after 150 minutes on a simulated wound surface, the hydrogel swells over 150% and increases the lux efficiency of an LED by 20%.

Synthesis and characterization of a conductive biomimetic hydrogel nanocomposite for responsive wound management technologies

2019 Spring National Meeting

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