Preparation and degradability of novel cross-linked functional hydrogels from enzymatic synthesized α-1,3-glucan and its carboxymethyl derivative

Abstract

In this research, we prepared novel hydrogels from enzymatically synthesized α-1,3-glucan and its carboxymethyl derivative by crosslinking with ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether. The resulting hydrogels were highly swellable and pH-sensitive with an enhanced highly developed structure and showed excellent protein/dye adsorption performances. Furthermore, the hydrogels had good biodegradability and could be degraded in soil extract solution. Herein, the prepared hydrogels have potential applications as a green and environmentally friendly adsorbent for the effective removal of organic dyes in printing and dyeing wastewater.