Photoactive Hydrogels Containing Merocyanine/Spiropyran Units for Wound Dressing Applications.

ABSTRACT: Chronic wounds present alkaline, microbially burdened environments that impede tissue repair and necessitate materials capable of actively modulating local chemistry. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of light-responsive hydrogels incorporating a methacrylate-functionalized merocyanine photoacid (E-MCMAH⁺) within the OEGMA/EGDMA networks to enable spatiotemporal control over acidity. Systematic variation of photoacid loading revealed its critical role in governing network swelling, mechanical integrity, and optical transitions associated with spiropyran-merocyanine interconversion. Solid-state UV-vis spectroscopy coupled with Tauc analysis elucidated distinct band gap features arising from photoisomerization. Under visible and UV irradiation, the hydrogels exhib

SUBMITTER: Katariya H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12801193 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature