ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Development of a Self-Healing bilayer hydrogel wound dressing composed of hyaluronic Acid, collagen and silk fibroin

Beteja Bricori-Bayrak, Zelal İnan, Ecem Çiçek, Mehtap Şahin, and Emel Tamahkar-Irmak

Department of Bioengineering, Bursa Technical University, Yıldırım, Turkey

E-mail: emel.irmak@btu.edu.tr

Received: 20 August 2025  Accepted: 17 November 2025

Abstract:

This study was aimed to develop a novel self-healing bilayer hydrogel wound dressing. The hydrogel was developed using biopolymers: hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen, silk fibroin (SF) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The inner sponge layer composed of HA and collagen was designed to be biodegradable and directly contact the wound surface, while the outer film layer containing HA, SF and PVA was designed to protect the wound. The wound dressing exhibited self-healing within 20 min, confirmed by optical microscopy. Physicochemical analyses including FTIR, SEM, swelling ratio, degradation profile and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) were performed. The bilayer hydrogel showed a WVTR of 1500 ± 200 g/m²/day, useful for moderately to heavily exuding wounds and a swelling capacity suitable in absorbing exudate. After 7 days the sponge layer degraded by ~ 85%, aligning with the expected design for temporary wound coverage. These results determine that the bilayer hydrogel not only meets the physical and chemical requirements of an ideal wound dressing but also offers self-healing behavior, which increase its durability and functionality under mechanical stress. Therefore, this developed double layer material holds strong potential for advanced wound healing applications.

Keywords: Chronic wounds; Wound dressing; Self-healing; Biodegradable; Bilayer hydrogels

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04520-8

Chemical Papers 80 (3) 2379–2388 (2026)