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09:06
Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels
Published on: August 27, 2014
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Chemically crosslinked hydrogel and its driving force towards superabsorbent behaviour
Kushairi Mohd Salleh1, Sarani Zakaria1, Mohd Shaiful Sajab2
1Bioresource and Biorefinery Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|July 3, 2018
Summary
This study developed a green superabsorbent hydrogel from oil palm waste. Higher crosslinker concentrations improved swelling ability, offering insights into hydrogel properties for various applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) cellulose presents a sustainable resource for material development.
- Superabsorbent hydrogels are crucial for applications requiring high water absorption.
- Developing eco-friendly hydrogels from biomass is an active area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a green regenerated superabsorbent hydrogel using EFB cellulose and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC).
- To investigate the impact of epichlorohydrin (ECH) crosslinker concentration on hydrogel properties.
- To characterize the formation, physical, and chemical properties of the synthesized hydrogel.
Main Methods:
- Dissolving EFB cellulose in NaOH/urea solvent.
- Mixing cellulose with NaCMC and crosslinking with varying concentrations of epichlorohydrin (ECH).
- Characterization using Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FT-IR) spectroscopy and swelling tests.
Main Results:
- Hydrogel formation was rapid with higher gel content at 10% ECH concentration.
- Superabsorbent hydrogel exhibited swelling ability exceeding 100,000%.
- Higher ECH concentrations led to increased superabsorbent properties, lower moisture retention, and higher transparency.
- Hydrogel weight increased with decreasing pH.
Conclusions:
- A novel green superabsorbent hydrogel was successfully synthesized from EFB cellulose.
- ECH concentration significantly influences hydrogel formation, swelling, and physical properties.
- The study provides valuable data on crosslinking effects and hydrogel behavior in response to environmental factors like pH.
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