Composite chitosan/active carbon (AC) hydrogels were elaborated by a novel route, consisting in exposing the chitosan solution to ammonia vapors. This vapor-induced gelation method was compared with the conventional elaboration process, a direct immersion of the chitosan solution in liquid ammonia. The hydrogels were characterized to evaluate their potential application as wound-dressings, mostly regarding their morphology, mechanical properties, swelling behavior, and sorption capacities for malodorous compounds emitted from wounds as diethylamine (DEA). The influence of elaboration route, chitosan concentration, and AC incorporation was studied. The results show that freeze-dried hydrogels have a porous asymmetric structure dependent on the chitosan concentration and which promotes exudates drainage. The nanostructure of the parent hydrogel is semi-crystalline and slightly dependent on the gelation conditions. It confers on hydrogel an acceptable mechanical behavior (compressive modulus up to 1.08 center dot 105 Pa). Hydrogels including AC display enhanced sorption kinetics for DEA, with sorption capacities up to 49 mg g1. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013