MXene conductive hydrogel for uniform electric field wound healing

Flexible conductive materials show considerable potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine owing to their favorable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and electrical characteristics. This study introduces a sequentially bridged, flexible three-layer composite composed of eutectic gallium-indium alloy (EGaIn), MXene, and hydrogel (EMH). This innovative conductive patch exhibits a spatially uniform electric-field distribution and stable electrical performance. The EGaIn layer provides exceptional conductivity, while MXene serves as an active capacitive layer with a high surface area and redox-active sites, facilitating efficient charge storage and redistribution. The synergy between MXene and EGaIn ensures rapid and uniform charge delivery, thereby enhancing electrochemical performance. The hyaluronic acid/polyacrylic acid double-network hydrogel (HPD) imparts remarkable tissue adhesion and mechanical compliance to the EMH patch. Significantly, the EMH demonstrates three times the capacitance compared to the EGaIn-hydrogel (EH), features metallic conductivity (775000 S/m) for swift charge transfer, and maintains stable cycling with less than 2Ω resistance at 235% strain. Its integrated design promise’s reliability under extreme deformation (up to 290% strain), effectively merging MXene’s charge storage capabilities with EGaIn’s strain-tolerant conduction. As an electronic wound dressing, the EMH patch significantly promotes tissue regeneration by facilitating endogenous current conduction that suppresses inflammation and stimulates cell proliferation, thereby enhancing epithelialization and vascularization. This capacitor-integrated layered design offers a promising bioelectronic approach for electric-field-modulated tissue regeneration.