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.