Alginate is a natural polysaccharide extracted from brown algae that is composed of units of mannuronic and guluronic acids. This biopolymer is commercially used in the pharmaceutical, medical and food industry due to its water solubility and gelling capacity. Here, Ca and Cu(II) alginate beads were prepared by precipitation from an aqueous sodium alginate solution after treatment with the corresponding cross-linking cation. The progress of gelation within the beads was followed by SEM microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of freeze-dried bead cross-sections. Our results revealed clear morphological changes in the beads that corresponded well with the presence of the divalent cation within the polymer network.

SEM-EDS study of calcium and copper alginate bead formation

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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