Multi-functional octanoyl glycol chitosan/gallic acid thermogels as hemostatic wound dressings

Thermoresponsive chitosan-based hydrogels are promising injectable wound dressings; however, their clinical translation is often hindered by insufficient mechanical robustness and poor structural stability under exudate-rich conditions. In this study, we developed multifunctional octanoyl glycol chitosan/gallic acid (OGC/GA) thermogels through the integration of phenolic-mediated supramolecular and dynamic covalent interactions within a thermoresponsive glycol chitosan network. The resulting thermogels preserved rapid temperature-triggered sol-gel transition, enabling minimally invasive injection and in situ gelation at physiological temperature. Incorporation of GA significantly reinforced the hydrogel network, leading to enhanced compressive strength, physical stability, tissue adhesion, and self-healing capability, while maintaining favorable injectability. In particular, the optimized formulation exhibited approximately 20-fold higher mechanical strength than pristine OGC thermogels. Moreover, the OGC/GA thermogels demonstrated intrinsic antioxidant and broad-spectrum antibacterial activities, showing >99% antibacterial efficacy against both E. coli and S. aureus . Importantly, GA incorporation markedly improved hemostatic performance, reducing blood loss by approximately 88-95% in a mouse liver hemorrhage model. Collectively, these multifunctional OGC/GA thermogels represent a promising injectable platform with enhanced mechanical robustness and biological functionality for hemorrhage control and wound protection.