Characterization of Alginate Hydrogels with Air-Plasma Surface Treatment

Abstract

Traditional wound dressings, such as gauze, present several limitations, including poor moisture retention, frequent replacement, and prolonged healing times, which may increase healthcare costs and nursing workload. This study focuses on the development of an alginate-based hydrogel dressing crosslinked with calcium chloride and plasticized with glycerol to enhance flexibility and hydration properties. Additionally, the hydrogel is modified through air plasma treatment under controlled conditions to alter surface characteristics such as hydrophilicity and porosity. Characterization techniques, including Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, optical microscopy, impedance analysis, and sol–gel fraction evaluation, were employed to assess structural and functional changes before and after plasma exposure. The results indicate that plasma treatment induces surface-level chemical modifications and changes in interaction properties. These findings suggest that plasma-treated alginate hydrogels may have relevance for biomedical wound dressing applications, while further studies are required to fully validate their clinical performance.