Multifunctional hydrogel based on ionic liquid with antibacterial performance

Abstract Biocompatible antibacterial hydrogels as novel dressing materials have been a widely researched method in modern medical technology. Here, we designed and prepared a new type of multifunctional antibacterial hydrogels that used poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-tetrahydroxyborate anion (B(OH)4−) hydrogel as a vector and pyrrolidinium ionic liquids (ILs) as antibacterial drugs. The formation of borate ester bonds between PVA and B(OH)4− as dynamic network junctions endows hydrogels with multiple functions. Moreover, the as-prepared hydrogel exhibited effective anti-microbial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our results indicated that the hydrogels containing ILs with longer alkyl chain exhibited more pronounced antibacterial properties. The moisture retention, self-healing, syringeability and multiresponse behavior together with the antibacterial properties of the hydrogels make them ideal candidates as multifunctional dressing materials for joint skin wound healing.