Fabrication and Characterization of a Stretchable Sodium Alginate Hydrogel Patch Combined with Silicon Nitride and Metalized Halloysite Nanotubes to Develop a Chronic Wound Healing Treatment

The human body is known as a responsive healing machine, but sometimes, broken bones do not heal, especially if a bacterial infection is present. The present study describes the fabrication and characterization of a nanocomposite hydrogel patch incorporated with silicon nitride and magnesium oxide (MgO) deposited on the halloysite nanotube (HNT) surface using a facile and inexpensive electrodeposition coating process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surface morphology of the MgO/HNT surface coating and the nanocomposite patch. Material characterization, including SEM, contact angle, pore size analysis, and tensile properties, was performed to determine the composite's structure and material properties. <i>E. coli</i> and <i>S. aureus</i> bacterial cultures were used to test the antimicrobial properties. Cellular response to MgO/HNTs was studied using mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The nanocomposite hydrogel patch was discovered to possess inherent properties when tested against bacterial cultures, and it was found to enhance fibroblast cell migration and proliferation. The nanocomposite hydrogel patch also showed sustained drug release. Materials involved in the fabrication helped in the swelling properties by which the nanocomposite hydrogel patch has approximately 400% of its initial weight discovered during the swelling test.