All-in-one and on-demand wound dressing based on a deep eutectic solvent ionic gel

Electrical stimulation therapy and antimicrobial interventions have shown promise in enhancing wound healing, yet most commercially available dressings either lack conductive properties or rely on bulky external components, limiting their practicality and effectiveness. Existing multifunctional wound dressings that provide antimicrobial activity, electrical stimulation (ES), and real-time monitoring often suffer from issues such as dehydration, suboptimal biocompatibility, or bulky designs, leaving an unmet need for a water-free, compact alternative. To address these limitations, this study introduces a novel, water-free ionic gel derived from a deep eutectic solvent (DES). By incorporating zinc ions (Zn²⁺), the gel achieves robust antibacterial efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria while maintaining strong biocompatibility. Notably, its T_10% high-temperature stability is 1.58 times higher than that of conventional hydrogels, underscoring enhanced thermal durability. Its inherent conductivity supports localized ES, and the integrated resistance-based sensing module, which operates via battery-free NFC technology, enables real-time monitoring of wound healing. In-vivo tests demonstrated that the DES ionic gel dressing significantly enhanced multiple aspects of the wound healing process, including accelerated wound closure, increased epidermal regeneration (2.16-fold), enhanced neo-epithelium formation (2.03-fold), elevated blood vessel density (2.98-fold), and improved collagen deposition (1.08-fold) compared to the control group. These therapeutic effects were most pronounced under optimized electrical stimulation parameters (5 V, 20 Hz). By uniting therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single, compact design, this multifunctional dressing offers a promising platform for managing chronic wounds.