Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel incorporated with Ag/TiO2 for rapid sterilization by photoinspired radical oxygen species and promotion of wound healing

Bacteria induced infectious are one of the major problems during wound healing process. The overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the spread of resistant bacteria. In this work, Ag-doped TiO2 (Ag/TiO2) nanoparticles were embedded in PVA hydrogel to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria efficiently by light-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). The hybrid hydrogel was prepared via a simple two-step process. Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles were obtained via chemical reduction process followed by Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in PVA and freeze-thaw cycles five times to fabricate Ag/TiO2-incorporated hybrid hydrogel. The hydrogel exhibited excellent antibacterial activities against both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) under irradiation of 660 nm visible light (VL) within 5 min due to the release of ROS by photodynamic action. The hydrogel also possessed excellent biocompatibility. In addition, the hydrogel could efficiently prevent the S. aureus-accompanied wound infection in vivo and significantly accelerate wound healing in rat model compare with traditional 3M dressing.