Preparation of Multifunctional Hydrogel with Curcumin-Controlled Release and Photothermal Synergistic Antibacterial Property for Wound Dressing

Considering the dynamic changes in the wound microenvironment and the risk of bacterial infection during healing, the synergistic design of antibacterial hydrogel dressings has become an effective treatment strategy. A multifunctional hydrogel Cur-F127/CMCs/PDA was prepared through the cross-linking of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCs) with genipin (GP), followed by the loading of curcumin-F127 (Cur-F127) micelles and polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles. Successful synthesis of the hydrogel was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results showed that the introduction of PDA endowed the hydrogel with excellent photothermal capability, achieving a temperature increase to 54.3 °C within 10 min under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Meanwhile, rapid Cur release was observed under NIR irradiation, exhibiting distinct “on/off” switching characteristics. The drug-controlled releasing behavior of the hydrogel was evaluated in physiological environments, and relatively high cumulative Cur release was obtained under simulated wound microenvironmental conditions (acid region and high temperature) due to the shrinking of polymer chains and micelle structure. The synergistic effect of Cur release and PDA photothermal therapy enabled the hydrogel to exhibit excellent antibacterial effects, and the survival rates of E. coli and S. aureus were reduced to 6.25% and 1.31%, respectively. Furthermore, in vitro biological studies demonstrated that the hydrogel possessed a good antioxidant property, hemostatic performance, blood compatibility, cell compatibility, and cell migration ability. In summary, the multifunctional wound dressing Cur-F127/CMCs/PDA provided a synergistic antibacterial strategy combining natural active compound release with photothermal effects, which accelerated the wound-healing process and holds significant clinical translational potential.