The skin is the largest organ of the human body and, due to its direct contact with the external environment, is one of the most vulnerable tissues. Traditional medical bandages and gauze exhibit limited efficacy in wound management, often neglecting the control of wound inflammation and the promotion of skin regeneration. Hydrogels, as an emerging material, possess appropriate swelling capacity, oxygen permeability, and the ability to absorb wound exudates, thereby facilitating wound healing, making them an ideal choice for functional applications in skin tissue engineering. In this study, dual-treated balsa wood (BWSM) was used as the hydrogel substrate, with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), chitosan (CS), and zinc gluconate (ZnG) used as the primary raw materials. The BWSM/PVA/CS/ZnG hydrogel was prepared via gamma-ray irradiation. Balsa wood treated with alkaline solutions, hydrogen peroxide solutions, and microwave treatment processing exhibited enhanced transparency, increased porosity, improved thermal stability and swelling rates, while retaining adequate mechanical strength. Gamma-ray irradiation of the BWSM/PVA/CS/ZnG hydrogel wound dressing demonstrated sustained drug release and antibacterial efficacy through release and antimicrobial tests. Animal experiments showed that the BWSM/PVA/CS/ZnG composite hydrogel promoted wound healing in mice and effectively prevented scar formation. The aforementioned results demonstrate that the PVA/CS/ZnG composite hydrogel loaded with balsa wood exhibits durable antibacterial properties and high mechanical strength and promotes wound healing, making it suitable for applications in biomedical materials such as wound dressings.

Supramolecular polymers, formed through hydrogen bonds and dynamic metal coordination bonds, exhibit excellent reversibility and recyclability. In this study, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as a solvent to synthesize a PTA-AgNO₃-CS (PAC) supramolecular polymer from thioctic acid (TA), silver nitrate (AgNO₃), and chitosan (CS). The non-covalent interactions in PAC enable self-healing and temperature responsiveness. This polymer demonstrates superior mechanical properties, freeze resistance, moisture retention, hemolysis resistance, blood clotting promotion, and antibacterial activity. Capable of 3D printing and repeated fabrication, PAC meets personalized tissue engineering scaffold requirements while reducing production costs. Doped with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the polymer achieves enhanced conductivity, fatigue resistance, strain sensing sensitivity, and cyclic stability. Field tests using human motion monitoring have confirmed its effectiveness as a reliable strain sensor. Graphical abstract