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Agarose based multifunctional materials: evaluation of thixotropy, self-healability and stretchability
Jai Prakash Chaudhary1, Dharmesh R Chejara1, Dipak Makwana2
1AcSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G. B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India; Scale-Up & Process Engineering Unit, CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G. B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India.
This study presents a novel microwave-assisted synthesis of agarose ester derivatives (Agr-GAEst) using gallic acid. The resulting multifunctional gels exhibit excellent thixotropy, self-healing, and stretching properties for potential applications in food and personal care.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Agarose is a natural polysaccharide with limited solubility and functionalization.
- Developing novel agarose derivatives is crucial for advanced material applications.
- Gallic acid offers antioxidant and bioactive properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize ester derivatives of agarose (Agr-GAEst) using gallic acid.
- To characterize the synthesized Agr-GAEst and its gel properties.
- To explore potential applications of the multifunctional agarose gels.
Main Methods:
- Microwave-assisted one-pot synthesis utilizing carbodiimide chemistry.
- Characterization using FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy, TGA, DMA, SEM, UV-vis, and rheometry.
- Optimization of molar ratio for gel formation.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of Agr-GAEst at an optimized molar ratio (1:0.5).
- Formation of good quality gels (tanδ ∼ 0.1) at 4% (w/v) concentration.
- Demonstrated thixotropy (38.73% hysteresis loop area), rapid self-healing (12 min), and excellent stretching (>20x).
Conclusions:
- Agr-GAEst gels possess remarkable multifunctional properties.
- The synthesized gels show potential for use in the food and personal healthcare industries.
- This facile synthesis offers a promising route to advanced agarose-based biomaterials.
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