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Afruzi F. H.♦, Abdouss M.♦, Asgaran S.♦, Moazzami Goudarzi Z., Neisiany R. E.♦, Development of a magnetic xanthan gum-polyacrylamide hydrogel embedding Cu-BTC with antibacterial properties for wound healing applications,
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, ISSN: 0141-8130, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152662, Vol.370, pp.152662-1-18, 2026 Abstract:
The design of multifunctional hydrogel platforms with strong antibacterial and pro-healing activity is essential for next-generation wound dressings. In this work, a novel nanocomposite hydrogel was fabricated by grafting polyacrylamide onto xanthan gum, crosslinking with borax, incorporating Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, and inducing in-situ growth of Cu-BTC MOF within the magnetic hydrogel matrix. This integrated structure represents an efficient innovation among MOF–hydrogel systems by combining the biocompatibility of XG, the functional network provided by PAAm, the magnetic features of Fe₃O₄, and the controlled Cu2+-based antibacterial activity of Cu-BTC. Characterization confirmed successful formation and stable polymer–MOF interactions, accompanied by favorable physicochemical properties including superparamagnetic behavior (saturation magnetization ∼8 emu/g), relatively high surface area (56.90 m2/g), and improved thermal stability. The biological assessments were assessed for wound-healing relevance. Swelling of the hydrogels was measured at different pH values (4.0, 5.5, 7.4) and in varying ionic strengths, showing the highest uptake for XG-grafted-PAAm, while Fe₃O₄ and Cu-BTC reduced swelling by increasing crosslinking, supporting moisture retention and compact structure in wound environments. Furthermore, the magnetic XG-grafted-PAAm @Cu-BTC nanocomposite showed antibacterial activity, with MIC/MBC values of 125/250 μg/mL against E. coli and 500/1000 μg/mL against S. aureus. Cytocompatibility testing revealed acceptable viability at low–moderate concentrations (91–54% at 1.9–15.6 μg/mL), while the scratch assay confirmed accelerated fibroblast migration at 3.9 μg/mL, indicating a pronounced pro-healing effect. Overall, the synergistic antibacterial action, controlled Cu2+ release, hydration capacity, and favorable cell-migration response position this MOF–magnetic hydrogel system as a promising candidate for advanced wound dressings. Keywords:
MOF-based hydrogel, Antibacterial, Cu-BTC, Xanthan gum, Wound healing Affiliations:
| Afruzi F. H. | - | other affiliation | | Abdouss M. | - | other affiliation | | Asgaran S. | - | other affiliation | | Moazzami Goudarzi Z. | - | IPPT PAN | | Neisiany R. E. | - | Isfahan University of Technology (IR) |
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