Optically activated plasmonic hydrogels with gold nanorods and their applications in wound healing monitoring (POSTER)

We disclose the use of hybrid materials featuring Au/Ag core/shell nanorods in porous chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol scaffolds for applications in tissue engineering and wound healing. The combination of Au and Ag in a single construct provides synergistic opportunities for optical activation of functions as near infrared laser tissue bonding, and remote interrogation to return parameters of prognostic relevance in wound healing monitoring. In particular, the bimetallic component ensures optical tunability, enhanced shelf life and photothermal stability, serves as a reservoir of germicidal silver cations, and changes in near-infrared and visible color according to the environmental level of oxidative stress. At the same time, the polymeric blend is ideal to support fabrication processes that provide high porosity, such as electrospinning, thus putting all the premises for cellular repopulation and antimicrobial protection. In order to verify the performance of our materials for applications in laser welding, we implemented the scaffolds obtained by the extraction of water with ethanol and a common model of connective tissue as thin segments of rabbit tendon, consisted of an overlap of both layers. The irradiation of their interface with millisecond-duration optical pulses, delivered from either side of the overlap, triggered an adhesive effect of a strength sufficient to withstand extensive manipulation.