Breathable, stretchable and adhesive nanofibrous hydrogels as wound dressing materials

In spite of the great progress of wound healing materials, the development of dressing with moisture permeability, stretchable capability, and adhesive performance remains a huge challenge. In this study, gelatin-dopamine (GT-DA) nanofiber membrane was prepared by introducing dopamine (DA) into gelatin (GT) via electrospinning followed by in-situ reaction. The effects of DA dosage, crosslinking condition and crosslinking time on the mechanical properties of the fiber membrane were studied systematically. The resultant GT-DA nanofibrous hydrogels exhibited integrated stress strength of 1.96 MPa, good water absorption of 700%, and water vapor transmission (WVT: 4.3 kg m−2d−1), which were superior than those of Mepiform®, a commercial adhesive silicone dressing. In addition, Fe3+ were introduced into one side of the nanofiber membrane. A stronger adhesion strength of 2.5 KPa on the porcine skin, which was 1.6 times higher than that of Mepiform® was achieved. Our research showed that the prepared nanofibrous hydrogel has potential as wound dressing and could be used in post-traumatic tissue healing engineering. This work presented a type of breathable, stretchable and adhesive nanofibrous hydrogels, which would ensure the stable attachment on wounds during movement as a wound healing material.