Synthesis of cellulose-based double-network hydrogels demonstrating high strength, self-healing, and antibacterial properties

•A novel double network hydrogel with superior mechanical property was prepared.•The prepared hydrogel maintained good self-healing properties.•The hydrogel possessed an excellent antibacterial property (antibacterial rate >93%), which could protect itself from microbial attack. Novel antibacterial double-network (DN) hydrogels with superior mechanical and self-healing properties are developed via the UV-initiated copolymerization of polyacrylic acid (PAA)-grafted quaternized cellulose (QCE) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The QCE functioned as an antibacterial agent, resulting in excellent antibacterial capability (antibacterial rate >93%). The hydrogels are thus protected from microbial attack in natural environments, prolonging their lifetime. The PVA functioned as a physical cross-linker, resulting in superior mechanical properties. At PVA and QCE contents of 8% and 1.5%, respectively, the strain and stress at break of hydrogel were 465.37% and 1.13MPa, respectively. The hydrogel maintained good self-healing properties owing to ionic bonding between the ferric ions and carboxylic groups, and hydrogen bonding between the PVA molecules. The hydrogel was responsive to pH; its water-holding ability could be controlled by changing the pH. The material is simply prepared and used. Hydrogels with such excellent properties could be applied in various biomedical fields.