Thermo-responsive, injectable, conductive, adhesive, and antibacterial hydrogel as wound dressings based on silver nanowires reinforced poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/alginate

• Oxidized sodium alginate, aminated poly-N-isopropylacrylamide, and polydopamine wrapped silver nanowires were synthesized. • OPAD hydrogels with multifunctional properties were fabricated. • OPAD hydrogels displayed antibacterial capability, good cytocompatibility, and hemocompatibility. • OPAD hydrogels promoted the wound healing by downregulating IL-6 and TNF-α and upregulating IL-10. Wound healing can be promoted by using hydrogel dressings with multiple functions, including antimicrobial effects, antioxidant activity, and conductivity. Notably, the injectability and temperature-responsive properties of the hydrogels facilitate their use in wound healing applications. In this study, based on the synthesized oxidized sodium alginate (OSA), aminated poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM-NH 2 ), and polydopamine-wrapped silver nanowires (AgNWs@PDA), the multifunctional OPAD hydrogels were fabricated. The temperature-responsive behavior of OPAD hydrogel is mainly attributed to the formation of micelles due to the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions between polymers. The sol–gel transition temperature of OPAD hydrogels could be adjusted to 37 °C. The OPAD hydrogels possessed an interconnected microstructure, as confirmed by the scanning electron microscope images. Additionally, the OPAD hydrogels demonstrated excellent adhesion strength on human skin. The introduction of AgNWs@PDA endowed OPAD hydrogels with good electrical conductivity. Furthermore, the OPAD hydrogels performed excellent antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . OPAD hydrogels exhibited excellent cytocompatibility, cell pre-migration ability, and hemocompatibility. In vivo experiments demonstrated that OPAD hydrogels could promote wound healing by providing an inflammatory microenvironment that facilitates angiogenesis and collagen deposition. The above results confirmed that the fabricated OPAD hydrogels have great potential for treating full-thickness wounds as wound dressings in wound healing applications.