Self-Healing, Hemostatic, and Antioxidant Chitosan Hydrogel Loaded with Sophora Japonica Carbon Dots and ZnO NPs for Wound Healing.

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach for preparing zinc oxide-sophora japonica carbon dots nanocomplexes via hydrothermal synthesis and co-precipitation, using Citric Acid (CA) as a green cross-linking agent and 3% chitosan (CS) as the raw material for hydrogel preparation. The zinc oxide-sophora flower carbon dots nanocomplexes are used as a model for hydrogel carrier formulation. Rat dorsal skin is selected as a model to evaluate the effect of the nanocomplex on wound healing. The results demonstrate that the hydrogel significantly improves tensile strength, antioxidant activity, and self-healing capabilities. The hydrogel exhibits a uniform, interconnected porous structure with excellent self-recovery ability, rapid hemostatic action, and pH responsiveness, effectively promoting acute wound healing.