Deep Eutectic Solvent-Mediated Medical Dressings: The Evolution from Green Processing Solvents to Multifunctional Integrated Media

Abstract

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) represent an emerging class of environmentally friendly solvents formed via the complexation of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. Owing to their superior solvation capabilities, structural tunability, and intrinsic bioactivity, DESs hold considerable promise for reshaping the development of advanced medical dressings. This review systematically summarizes the technological evolution of DESs from conventional processing solvents to multifunctional integrated media. Furthermore, the versatile applications of DESs are comprehensively discussed, encompassing their roles as functional platforms, structure-directing and dynamic crosslinking agents, drug carriers for controlled release, as well as electroconductive and sensing elements. Subsequently, the current challenges in processing DES-mediated fiber-based medical dressings are outlined. Additionally, a conceptual design for next-generation smart dressings based on a "dry-storage in situ activation" strategy is proposed, offering new insights to facilitate the clinical translation of high-performance dressings.