Chitosan Hydrogels for Water Purification Applications

Abstract

Chitosan-based hydrogels have gained significant attention for their potential applications in water treatment and purification due to their remarkable properties such as bioavailability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, environmental friendliness, high pollutants adsorption capacity, and water adsorption capacity. This article comprehensively reviews recent advances in chitosan-based hydrogel materials for water purification applications. The synthesis methods, structural properties, and water purification performance of chitosan-based hydrogels are critically analyzed. The incorporation of various nanomaterials into chitosan-based hydrogels, such as nanoparticles, graphene, and metal-organic frameworks, has been explored to enhance their performance. The mechanisms of water purification, including adsorption, filtration, and antimicrobial activity, are also discussed in detail. The potential of chitosan-based hydrogels for the removal of pollutants, such as heavy metals, organic contaminants, and microorganisms, from water sources is highlighted. Moreover, the challenges and future perspectives of chitosan-based hydrogels in water treatment and water purification applications are also illustrated. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the current state of the art regarding chitosan-based hydrogels for water purification applications and highlights their potential for addressing global water pollution challenges.

Biomedical Trends in Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels with Emphasis on Chitosan-Based Formulations

“…Its hydrophilic and 3D structure determines permeabil-ity for bioactive substances [22], which enables it to retain significant amounts of water and biological fluids. Chitosan homopolymers maintain the integrity of their network and do not dissolve in water at neutral pH, but they can be dissolved in acidic conditions due to the protonation of free amino groups [40].…”

“…Since hydrogels have properties similar to liquids, molecules may be readily diffused, absorbed, and released [6]. Adding chitosan into the hydrogel structure makes it more hydrophilic, allowing it to swell and expand in the presence of liquid [40,52]. In addition to chitosan concentration, examples of key agents influencing the physicochemical properties of these hydrogels are cross-linkers (e.g., genipine, glutaraldehyde) and hydroxy acids (e.g., mandelic acid, lactobionic acid), which affect morphology, swelling ability, viscosity, mechanical strength, or cytotoxicity [53][54][55][56].…”

Natural Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels Used for Dye Removal

“…Grafting and cross-linking of pristine chitin afforded the obtaining of hydrogels with enhanced adsorption properties compared to the starting polysaccharide. Literature from the last decade showed that the introduction of different fillers (GO, r-GO tannic acid) in chitin-based gels have been utilized successfully in dye removal processes due to the enhanced adsorption properties of obtained composites [65,66] (Table 2).…”

Biomaterials-based hydrogels for therapeutic applications

“…Currently, a variety of modern products have been commercially launched for wound care, including foams, films, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, and hydrofibers. Hydrogels are ideal wound dressings due to their exceptional biological properties [68][69][70][71]. Dressings based on hydrogels are considered advanced successful systems and particularly useful tools in biomedical practice.…”