3D molybdenum disulfide doped sodium alginate wound dressing with rapid photothermal response

A novel multifunctional hydrogel wound dressing, Gel/MoS₂, was developed by integrating 3D spherical molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanospheres into a robust dual-network polymer matrix. This matrix was constructed from dopamine-modified sodium alginate (SA-DA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), offering enhanced tissue adhesion and mechanical strength. The straightforward hydrothermal synthesis of our unique 3D MoS₂ nanospheres yielded a material with superior photothermal performance compared to commercial 2D MoS₂ nanosheets. Upon irradiation with near-infrared light (808 nm), the prepared hydrogel—specifically Gel/M₁₀, which refers to the composite hydrogel with a MoS₂ doping concentration of 10 mg—exhibited a potent photothermal effect. It rapidly reached a therapeutic temperature of 57.4 °C within 5 min, demonstrating an in vitro antibacterial efficacy exceeding 90 %. Furthermore, the Gel/M₁₀ hydrogel exhibited excellent peroxidase-like activity, effectively eliminating diverse ROS and reducing oxidative stress. In vivo experiments confirmed that under NIR irradiation, Gel/M₁₀ significantly accelerated wound closure and promoted tissue regeneration. This work introduces a highly efficient integrated hydrogel system, demonstrating the spherical MoS₂'s capability to serve as an advanced photothermal agent for antibacterial wound dressings.