Synergistic Effect of Hydrogen Bonds and Chemical Bonds to Construct a Starch-Based Water-Absorbing/Retaining Hydrogel Composite Reinforced with Cellulose and Poly(ethylene glycol)

Abstract

The hydrogel prepared by graft copolymerization of starch (ST) and acrylamide (AM) is a commonly used absorbent material; however, due to their irregular network structure and a limited number of hydrophilic groups, starch-based hydrogels have poor water absorption and water retention. To overcome this, here, we provide a new preparation method for starch-based hydrogels. Using cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an initiator, the starch–acrylamide–cellulose (CMC)/poly(ethylene glycol) (S-A-M/PEG) superabsorbent hydrogel was prepared by graft copolymerization. The starch–acrylamide–cellulose/poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel network is constructed through the synergistic effect of hydrogen bonds and chemical bonds. The experimental results showed that the starch–acrylamide–cellulose/poly(ethylene glycol) superabsorbent hydrogel has a complete network structure that does not easily collapse due to its superior mechanical properties. The water swelling rate reached 80.24 times, and it reached 50.61% water retention after 16 days. This hydrogel has excellent water-absorbing and water-retaining properties, biocompatibility, and degradability, making it useful for further studies in medical, agricultural, and other fields.

In Situ Nanoarchitectonics of a MOF Hydrogel: A Self-Adhesive and pH-Responsive Smart Platform for Phototherapeutic Delivery

“…15 As a result, the starch hydroxyl-enriched architecture polymeric network promoter has greater water accumulation, providing an advantage for therapeutic applications such as drug delivery, as this behavior can regulate the drug release from the polymeric matrix. 61,62 Stability Studies of the ZPSH at Different pHs. Microbiological illnesses are commonly related to acidic microenvironments, as fermentation produces organic acids and inflammatory mediators.…”

Translating controlled release systems from biomedicine to agriculture

“…This application may be unique to agricultural systems in that water itself is the delivered molecule. CRSs, and in particular hydrogels, have been used in agricultural to provide water in drought conditions (Chaudhary et al, 2020;Mazloom et al, 2020;Gao et al, 2021). Hydrogel carriers, comprised mostly of water (Ullah et al, 2015), have been evaluated for their ability to retain soil water and release it when soil gets dry (Romero et al, 2016).…”

Synthesis of Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Improved Water Retention in Horticultural Soil

“…Hydrogels are generally based on polyacrylamides and polyacrylates or their derivatives to increase the water retention capacity . However, recently, research on biodegradable polymers has been carried out actively due to the problem of the coexistence of SAP based on organic materials with the environment. − These biodegradable SAPs are alginate, , starch, − cellulose, − chitosan, , and yeast, , all of which are low cost due to recycling of natural materials or waste and have an excellent rate of decomposition in the soil. However, all commercially available SAPs are based on polyacrylamides and polyacrylates, all of which are not biodegradable .…”

“…These commercially available SAPs have water absorption capacity 100–300 g/g suitable for use in horticultural applications. − Biodegradable materials such as alginate, , cellulose, chitosan, and yeast to achieve these values have a significantly lower degree of swelling. To overcome this, natural materials and derivatives of acrylamide are sometimes used together. − ,− ,, The biodegradability of soil wetting agents mixed with these natural materials and acrylamide may vary depending on the type of monomer . Nevertheless, it has a faster decomposition rate than synthetic-based soil wetting agents.…”

“…To overcome this, natural materials and derivatives of acrylamide are sometimes used together. [25][26][27][29][30][31]33,34 The biodegradability of soil wetting agents mixed with these natural materials and acrylamide may vary depending on the type of monomer. 35 Nevertheless, it has a faster decomposition rate than synthetic-based soil wetting agents.…”