A comparative study of starch-g-(glycidyl methacrylate)/synthetic polymer-based hydrogels

Michelly Cristina Galdioli Pellá; Andressa Renatta Simão; Marcos Roberto Mauricio; Ruben Auccaise Estrada; Guilherme Miranda Pereira; Rafael da Silva; Adley Forti Rubira

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120614

A comparative study of starch-g-(glycidyl methacrylate)/synthetic polymer-based hydrogels

Carbohydr Polym. 2023 May 1:307:120614. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120614. Epub 2023 Jan 26.

Authors

Michelly Cristina Galdioli Pellá¹, Andressa Renatta Simão², Marcos Roberto Mauricio², Ruben Auccaise Estrada³, Guilherme Miranda Pereira⁴, Rafael da Silva², Adley Forti Rubira⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringa, 5790, Av. Colombo, Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil. Electronic address: michellepella57@gmail.com.
² Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringa, 5790, Av. Colombo, Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil.
³ Department of Physics, State University of Ponta Grossa, 4748, Av. General Carlos Cavalcanti, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Sciences, State University of Maringa, Av. Reitor Zeferino Vaz, Goioere, Parana 87360-000, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringa, 5790, Av. Colombo, Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil. Electronic address: afrubira@gmail.com.

PMID: 36781274
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120614

Abstract

Chemical modification reactions and blending formation are two alternatives used to improve the properties of starch-based materials. This work used both approaches to evaluate how they would affect the properties of hydrogels. The hydrogels were based on corn starch (St), modified with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA; starch-g-GMA; ^GMASt), and blended with N,N'-dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm; ^GMASt_xDMAAm_y) or sodium acrylate (SA; ^GMASt_xSA_y). The results confirmed that the pure ^GMASt matrix had a low swelling degree (≈3 g g^-1), but when blended with the synthetic polymers, this value reached ≈10 g g^-1 (sample ^GMASt₂₅DMAAm₇₅). All matrices showed responsiveness towards pH variations. In general, they swelled more at pH 5 than at pH 7. While DMAAm had more influence on the swelling degree, SA was more efficient as a mechanical enhancer. Increasing 25 % of the amount of SA in the blend increased Young's Modulus by a factor of ≈10 times. It confirmed that both polymers effectively change the properties of ^GMASt, but in different ways.

Keywords: Blending formation; Chemical modification; N,N′-dimethylacrylamide; Smart material; Sodium acrylate; pH-responsive.