Properties and applications of chitosan-based smart hydrogels
| Types of CS hydrogels | Examples | Biological activity | Applications | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermo-responsive | CS/TOCNF | Good cytocompatibility and anti-inflammatory biomaterial | Wound healing | [125] |
| CS/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/glycerol | Good fluidity, biodegradability, low cytotoxicity, controlled release | Drug delivery | [126] | |
| HBCS/C | Thermosensitivity, injectability, tissue-adhesion, biodegradation, biocompatibility, anti-haemorrhaging barriers | Wound hemostasis | [127] | |
| pH-responsive | Polyacrylamide/quaternary ammonium CS/CQDs/phenol red hydrogels | Hemostatic, adhesive properties, wound moisture maintenance, wound healing via antibacterial activity, skin repair function | Wound healing and skin repair function, real-time evaluation of the wound dynamics | [137] |
| Methacrylated CS/red cabbage extract hydrogel | Good swelling property, better in vitro release rates, suitable for monitoring visual changes in the wound bed | Wound dressing application | [128] | |
| CS/CA/TFL | Biodegradability, cytocompatibility, structural and functional integrity, controlled and local drug-release ability, tunable for the shape of the hydrogel | Drug delivery | [138] | |
| QCS/OD/TOB/PPY@PDA NWs | Slow drug release, NIR irradiation-assisted bactericidal activity, inflammation regulation, collagen deposition, vascular generation, and earlier wound closure | Bacterial-infected burn wound healing | [139] | |
| N-carboxyethyl CS/HA-ALD/ADH | Compatibility, porous structure, anti-inflammatory, granulation and tissue formation, collagen deposition, accelerated re-epithelialization, neovascularization, improved peripheral neuropathy | Wound dressing in DFUs for healing | [129] | |
| Photo-responsive | CMCS/HA/PDA/TAPP/L-Arg | Injectable, adhesive, cytocompatibility, antibacterial properties | Wound healing in MRSA-infected animal wound models | [143] |
| CMSC/sodium alginate/DVDMS/PLGA/bFGF nanospheres | Fluorescence imaging, antibacterial activity, inhibiting biofilm formation, biocompatible, promoting epithelialization | Burn infections | [130] | |
| CEC/benzaldehyde-terminated PF127/CNT | Good gelation time, stable mechanical properties and hemostatic properties, high water absorbency, and good biodegradability | Infected full-thickness skin wounds | [131] |
ADH: adipic acid dihydrazide; bFGF: basic fibroblast growth factor; CA: coumarin; CEC: N-carboxyethyl chitosan; CS: chitosan; CMCS: carboxymethyl chitosan; CNT: carbon nanotubes; CQDs: carbon quantum dots; DFUs: diabetic foot ulcers; DVDMS: porphyrin photosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium; HA: hyaluronic acid; HA-ALD: hyaluronic acid-aldehyde; HBCS-C: catechol-hydroxybutyl chitosan; L-Arg: L-Arginine; NWs: nanowires; OD: oxidized dextran; PDA: polydopamine; PLGA: poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); PPY: polypyrrole; QCS: quaternized chitosan; TAPP: 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (4-aminophenyl) porphyrin; TFL: taxifolin; TOB: tobramycin; TOCNF: TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber