Alginate is an important category of renewable raw materials for biobased films, coatings, beads and gels. Alginates find many applications in the biomedical area due to their hydrophilicity. The goal of this project was to create a library of alginate-based gel materials for a variety of applications. Modified alginate precursor materials were prepared and the subsequent methacrylate functionalities polymerized to create hydrogels. Depending on the length of crosslinks and their functionality the cross-linking spaces may hold pharmaceutical compounds for timed released. Further investigation of these materials incorporated other compounds to vary the hydrogel properties and applications. Additionally, the possibility of stabilizing the dried hydrogel structures and preparing aerogels is being explored.

Preparation of functionalized alginate hydrogels

247th National Meeting (2014)

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