Cotton‐hydrogel composite for improved wound healing: Synthesize optimization and physicochemical characterization—part 1

Composite wound dressings gather the suitable properties of 2 or more polymeric materials. Thus, the present work aimed to assess the functionalization of cotton textiles with cyclodextrin‐hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose‐based hydrogel by chemical cross‐linking. The developed composites were evaluated based on their cross‐linking percentage and swelling ability and characterized by FTIR‐ATR, DSC, and TGA. The best conditions were achieved using 1‐step procedure, 0.54 mol L−1 of cross‐linking agent and 1:0.1 polymeric solution/textile (v/w). The textile physical structure was, also, a crucial parameter. From the substrates tested, nonwoven composites could accommodate more gel fraction with enhanced swelling. The functionalization of cotton fibers with cyclodextrin‐hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose‐based hydrogel improved cotton water uptake and surface properties, increasing its applicability as wound dressing.