The development of multifunctional materials that actively enhance the wound healing process is critically important in addressing clinical and public healthcare challenges. Here, we report a multifunctional hydrogel obtained through physical cross-linking of chitosan and wood tannins for active wound management. Tannins, as polyphenolic wood-waste derivatives, act both as multifunctional additives and cross-linking agents, resulting in a stable and highly swellable hydrogel (>
2000%·mg