Preparation and characterization of cellulose-based foams via microwave curing

Abstract

In this work, a mixture of a sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose (CMCNa) and polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA700) was used for the preparation of a microporous structure by using the combination of two different procedures. First, physical foaming was induced using Pluronic as a blowing agent, followed by a chemical stabilization. This second step was carried out by means of an azobis(2-methylpropionamidine)dihydrochloride as the thermoinitiator (TI). This reaction was activated by heating the sample homogeneously using a microwave generator. Finally, the influence of different CMCNa and PEGDA700 ratios on the final properties of the foams was investigated. The viscosity, water absorption capacity, elastic modulus and porous structure were evaluated for each sample. In addition, preliminary biological characterization was carried out with the aim to prove the biocompatibility of the resulting material. The foam, including 20% of PEGDA700 in the mixture, demonstrated higher viscosity and stability before thermo-polymerization. In addition, increased water absorption capacity, mechanical resistance and a more uniform microporous structure were obtained for this sample. In particular, foam with 3% of CMCNa shows a hierarchical structure with open pores of different sizes. This morphology increased the properties of the foams. The full set of samples demonstrated an excellent biocompatibility profile with a good cell proliferation rate of more than 7 days.

Experimental Assessment of the Use of a Novel Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) for the Optimization ofWater Consumption in Agricultural Irrigation Process

“…In particular, Carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (CMCNa) and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) were the precursors adopted for the hydrogel synthesis. The detailed description of the synthesis process of the used SAP, which is based on the results obtained in previous works [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], can be found in [22]. The final powder size distribution of the SAP was in the range 0.1-1 mm.…”

“…In this work, an innovative SAP, obtained through chemical crosslinking of cellulose derivatives, was synthesized, based on the results of previous studies [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], and its water retaining capability was assessed with a specific focus on agricultural applications. The goal of this work was to characterize, from an operative point of view, the beneficial effect of the use of the novel SAP in combination with different types of soils, for the cultivation of plants typical of the Mediterranean area.…”

Effects of Genipin Concentration on Cross-Linked Chitosan Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: Structural Characterization and Evidence of Biocompatibility Features

“…Several materials have been developed and analyzed to be used for this purpose, including bioactive ceramics such as hydroxyapatite (HA) [5], beta-tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) [6], biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) [7], calcium phosphate 2 International Journal of Polymer Science cements [8], bioactive glass [9], and several biodegradable polymers [10][11][12][13].…”

Nano-engineered bioactive interfaces

“…They realized scaffolds with 08/908 fibre pattern and demonstrated that this microstructural architecture is suitable for adhesion and spreading of cardiac progenitor cells. A different technology to produce scaffolds with controlled microstructure and defined porosity is presented by Demitri et al [8]. By combining a foaming technology with a chemical stabilization novel cellulose-based scaffolds were obtained.…”