The Influence of the Structural Architecture on the Swelling Kinetics and the Network Behavior of Sodium-Alginate-Based Hydrogels Cross-Linked with Ionizing Radiation

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Abstract
The present work discusses the influence of the structural architecture of sodium alginate–co-acrylic acid–poly(ethylene) oxide hydrogels, crosslinked through electron beam (e-beam) radiation processing. The most important properties of the hydrogels were studied in detail to identify a correlation between the architecture of the hydrogels and their properties. Furthermore, the effect of sodium alginate (NaAlg) concentration, the amounts of the polymer blend, and the size of the samples on hydrogel properties were investigated. The results show that the hydrogels cross-linked (0.5% and 1% NaAlg) with 12.5 kGy exhibit improved physicochemical properties. High gel fraction levels (exceeding 83.5–93.7%) were achieved. Smaller hydrogel diameter (7 mm) contributed to a maximum swelling rate and degree of 20.440%. The hydrogel network was dependent on the hydrogels’ diameter and the amount of polymer blend used. The hydrogels best suited the first-order rate constants and exhibited a non-Fickian diffusion character with diffusion exponent values greater than 0.5. This study indicates that the cross-linked hydrogel has good properties, particularly because of its high degree of swelling and extensive stability (more than 180 h) in water. These findings show that hydrogels can be effectively applied to the purification of water contaminated with metals, dyes, or even pharmaceuticals, as well as materials with a gradual release of bioactive chemicals and water retention.
Funding Information
  • Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitization, CNCS–UEFISCDI (PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-2151, 30N/2023)
  • Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization under the Romanian National Core Program LAPLAS VII (PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-2151, 30N/2023)

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