Silver chloride nanoparticles embedded in self-healing hydrogels with biocompatible and antibacterial properties

The incorporation of inorganic materials into soft matter has drawn considerable attention of researchers particularly for the development of hydrogels with self-healing ability in biomedical applications. In our study, the self-healing hydrogels formed by cross-linking reaction between poly (acrylic) acid and aluminium (Al3+) ions incorporated with gelatin-stabilized silver chloride nanoparticles (AgCl NPs) were successfully fabricated in a single step. The self-healing process of such hydrogels was facilitated by dynamic ionic interaction that occurred between –COOH from PAA and Al3+ ions. The effect by introducing gelatin and varying the concentration of silver in the PAAAl3+ hydrogel was carried out. With the addition of gelatin, the hydrogel exhibited rather poor mechanical properties than the free-gelatin hydrogel. The evidence of gelatin in stabilizing AgCl NPs in the hydrogel was proved by SEM analysis and the crystallinity of AgCl NPs in the hydrogels was confimed by XRD analysis as well. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy on Escherichia coli increased with increasing concentration of silver in the hydrogel. In addition, the results of cell viability (L929 mouse fibroblast cells) determined by LDH method revealed that gelatin in hydrogel could enhance the proliferation of cells. Nonetheless, the overuse of silver in the hydrogel led to toxicity of cells. [Display omitted] •PAAAl3+ self-healing hydrogels formed by physical cross-linking (ionic interaction) between carboxylic groups and Al3+ ions.•The hydrogels network of PAAAl3+ is interpenetrated by AgCl-stabilized gelatin.•Relatively high amount of AgCl nanoparticles causes toxic to L929 mouse fibroblast cell.