Preparation of Chitosan Hydrogel with Malonic Acid Crosslinker as Soil Conditioner for Soybean Plant (Glycine max L. merril)

Abstract

This research is on the manufacture of chitosan hydrogel crosslinked with malonic acid to be used as a soil conditioner for soybean plant (glycine max L. merrill). The aim of the study is to determine the effect of chitosan composition on malonic acid and the characteristics of hydrogel, and the effect of hydrogel as soil conditioner—its physical and chemical properties and role in soybean plant growth. Hydrogel of chitosan crosslinked malonic acid is carried out through a crosslinking chemical method. The increase in chitosan and malonic acid concentration can increase the swelling degree of hydrogel by 285.32%. Characterization is done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR analysis shows changes in the specific absorption between chitosan and chitosan crosslinked malonic acid that occurs in the area of wave number 1080 cm−1 (C─O). SEM analysis shows that the increase in chitosan composition and malonic acid concentration causes the surface structure to be rough, hollow, and irregular. The use of hydrogel on soil conditions of soybean plants at 75th day measurements which give the most significant positive response is chitosan: malonic acid (2.5 g: 2.5%). Moisture value, soil temperature, C‐organic content, absorbed potassium level, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) content are 50%, 27–30 °C, 2%, 20.54 ppm, and 17.74 meq/100 g, respectively. In addition, the effect of hydrogel use on soybean plants result in the plant reaching a maximum height of 93 cm on the 75th day. The chitosan–malonic acid hydrogel has potential as soil conditioner.

Galactomannan crosslinking with a green plasticizer malonic acid and its biomedical applications

“…The modified products are useful as soil strengthening and conditioning agents, 33 separators in batteries, 34 colloidal stabilizers, 35 bio-analytical applications and many other biomedical applications such as drug delivery 36 and 3D-scaffold modification. 37 A key advantage of using malonic acid is that it is the shortest possible diacid having only one methylene which acts as a spacer and two carboxy groups each at the terminal end which are utilized for acylation.…”

“…starch, cellulose, etc. The modified products are useful as soil strengthening and conditioning agents, 33 separators in batteries, 34 colloidal stabilizers, 35 bio-analytical applications and many other biomedical applications such as drug delivery 36 and 3D-scaffold modification. 37…”