Preparation of chitosan aerogel crosslinked in chemical and ionical ways by non-acid condition for wound dressing.

Herein, the dual-crosslinked chitosan aerogel was prepared using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, an ionic liquid, as a solvent. The hydroxyl groups were covalently crosslinked by epichlorohydrin (ECH), while the amino groups were ionically crosslinked by itaconic acid (IA). The chemical and ionic crosslinkings of the aerogels were analyzed using FT-IR and NMR. Both the types and the degree of crosslinking gave significant influences on the structures of the aerogels. The dual crosslinked aerogel with proper chemical crosslinking dose had the excellent swelling behavior. The prepared aerogel shows potential as a wound healing matrix, with low toxicity and antibacterial function.