Controlled NO release via GO-doped alginate hydrogels for electronic antibacterial devices
摘要
The controlled release of nitric oxide gas remains a formidable challenge in the biomedical field. In our study, graphene oxide (GO) was utilized to develop controlled NO-releasing antimicrobial hydrogels by incorporating S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D-penicillamine (SNAP) as the NO donor. Initially, both physically crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-sodium alginate (SA) hydrogels formed through hydrogen bonding and chemically crosslinked PVA-SA-hydroxyapatite (HAP) hydrogels with boric acid were fabricated by incorporating varying amounts of GO along with SNAP loading. The incorporation of 1% GO increased NO release time by over 160%, reducing the initial burst release in both physically and chemically crosslinked hydrogels. Theoretical calculations showed that GO acts as a trapping agent for SNAP molecules in the hydrogel matrix and enhances the cleavage energy of the S–N bond by 1.074 × 10−3 Hartree. Furthermore, the addition of 1% GO improved the mechanical properties of the hydrogels, resulting in excellent tensile strength exceeding 450 kPa and elongation greater than 217%. Both hydrogels exhibited potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with effectiveness exceeding 99% and 96%, respectively. Moreover, these conductive hydrogels offer real-time monitoring of finger bending and voice, with rapid response and high stability.