Multifunctional Hemostatic Materials: From Molecular Design to Morphological Engineering.

Abstract

Traumatic massive hemorrhage and surgical bleeding wounds remain major clinical challenges, driving the development of high-performance hemostatic materials for diverse wound microenvironments. Traditional hemostatic materials can control bleeding, but they generally provide limited functionality and are not well suited for complex injuries. As a result, multifunctional hemostatic materials tailored to specific clinical scenarios have emerged as an important research focus. This review summarizes recent advances in multifunctional hemostatic materials and the key strategies used in their design. Starting from a functional perspective, we systematically discuss the key functions of hemostatic materials, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory/antioxidative capabilities, robust wet adhesion, and high mechanical strength, together with the major functional components and the common approaches used to construct these features. Furthermore, this work further analyzes, from the perspective of material form and structural design, how different types of hemostatic materials exhibit distinct physical characteristics, clinical advantages, and practical limitations, thereby affecting the integration of multiple functions and their suitability for specific applications. On this basis, representative multifunctional hemostatic materials are categorized by form, and the advanced functions and application scenarios of each category are systematically discussed. Finally, we summarize current challenges and outline future directions, including smart responsive systems, better function integration, and design that matches specific clinical scenarios. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Controlling severe bleeding and treating non-healing wounds remain major clinical challenges that cannot be fully addressed by conventional hemostatic materials. Hemostatic materials with diverse functions have therefore been developed for complex bleeding conditions. However, existing reviews have mainly focused on individual components, specific functions, or particular material forms. Herein, we systematically review the multifunctionality of hemostatic materials from the perspectives of chemical composition and macroscopic architecture, with an emphasis on recent advances in functional optimization, component-structure-property relationships, and the mechanisms and outcomes of hemostatic and therapeutic functions.