Sustained-Release, Antibacterial, Adhesive Gelatin Composite Hydrogel with Agnps Double-Capped with Curdlan Derivatives

Abstract

In this work, carboxymethylated curdlan (CMCD) was utilized as a capping and stabilizing agent for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Subsequently, quaternized curdlan (QCD) was introduced as the second capping layer through electrostatic attraction, leading to the preparation of double-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@CQ). The successful synthesis of silver nanoparticles was characterized using UV-vis, FTIR, XRD, TEM, and DLS techniques. AgNPs@CQ were incorporated into gelatin and a AgNPs@CQ/Gel composite hydrogel was obtained.  The hydrogel exhibits a porous structure with AgNPs@CQ attached to the inner surface of the pores. The incorporation of AgNPs@CQ imparts excellent antibacterial properties to the composite hydrogel. Furthermore, the presence of double-capping layers considerably retards the release rate of silver. The composite hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical strength and adhesive performance. The AgNPs@CQ/Gel composite hydrogel demonstrates a cost-effective and facile preparation, showing significant potential in the field of wound dressings.

Keywords: Curdlan, Derivatives, Silver nanoparticles, Gelatin, Hydrogel