Biological, Medical, and Agricultural Applications of Plasmas II

Plasma-activated hydrogel (PAH) has demonstrated attractive wide-spectrum antimicrobial functions originating from the store and transfer of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), nevertheless, faces critical limitations in real wound treatment, such as the short-term antibacterial efficiency, poor water retention, and weak adhesion. These limitations are both related to the critical RONS transfer in the complex material system and the interface compatibility. A novel wound dressing based on a glycerol aqueous solution precursor was proposed. The glycerol-water system was activated via atmospheric-pressure surface dielectric barrier discharge in air, with RONS stored within a modified hyaluronic acid network to form plasma-activated glycerol hydrogel (PAGH). Increased RNS concentration and decreased hydrogen peroxide level are observed in plasma-activated glycerol solution. The hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation of glycerol is identified as the crucial component, generating carboxylic acid by-products. Experimental results demonstrate that PAGH could efficiently load reactive species while maintaining high antibacterial activity, along with significantly enhanced water retention, elongation, and freeze resistance. This study elucidates the interaction mechanisms between plasma and glycerol-water systems, along with the synergistic multifunctional effects of PAGH, thereby paving the way for novel clinical applications of plasma-activated media.

Funding acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52477156), the Young Talent Fund of Xi'an Association for Science and Technology, the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST (Grant No. 2023QNRC001), and the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, China (Grant No. EIPE23114).