Antibacterial property of dual-network hydrogel filled with amino functionalized graphene quantum dots

Bacterial infections seriously impair wound healing, so the development of wound dressings with high antimicrobial activity is of critical importance. In this study, amino functionalized graphene quantum dots (His-GQDs) were prepared via thermal pyrolysis of citric acid and histidine, and doped into a dual-network gelatin/sodium alginate (His-GQDs/G/SA) hydrogel to improve the antibacterial activity. The His-GQDs/G/SA hydrogel exhibited excellent antibacterial activity after 6 h of contact with bacteria. Simultaneously, the composite hydrogel could effectively alleviate the cytotoxicity of His-GQDs. The results of antimicrobial and biocompatibility tests demonstrate that the His-GQDs/G/SA dual-network hydrogel is a promising wound dressing to promote healing of infected wounds.