{"title":"Biocompatible CMC-based hydrogel fiber systems: swelling control via trivalent ionic crosslinking","authors":"Nilay Kahya","doi":"10.1007/s10965-025-04537-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a hydrophilic and biocompatible polysaccharide widely employed in hydrogel systems. Herein, CMC-based fibers were ionically crosslinked using different trivalent cations, Al³⁺, Ce³⁺, and Fe³⁺, to investigate the effects of crosslinking type on water swelling behavior and surface morphology. Swelling studies were conducted in distilled water at room temperature, and the water uptake of each crosslinked sample was evaluated over time. The results showed that Al³⁺-CMC fibers had the highest swelling ratio, whereas Fe³⁺-treated fibers demonstrated more limited swelling due to their denser network structure. Ce³⁺-CMC fibers displayed intermediate behavior. Linear density analysis showed an increasing Tex trend from Al³⁺- to Ce³⁺- and Fe³⁺-crosslinked fibers, consistent with their respective swelling behaviors and morphological characteristics. To further understand the influence of crosslinking, fiber morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The images revealed distinct differences in surface features, with Al³⁺-treated samples showing more pronounced surface roughness, while Fe³⁺-CMC fibers were smoother and more compact. These findings suggest that the choice of trivalent crosslinker significantly influences both the swelling characteristics and morphology of CMC fibers. The tunable properties of these ionically crosslinked fibers indicate their potential suitability for various applications such as controlled release systems, wound dressings, and biodegradable packaging materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"32 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Polymer Research","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10965-025-04537-3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"POLYMER SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a hydrophilic and biocompatible polysaccharide widely employed in hydrogel systems. Herein, CMC-based fibers were ionically crosslinked using different trivalent cations, Al³⁺, Ce³⁺, and Fe³⁺, to investigate the effects of crosslinking type on water swelling behavior and surface morphology. Swelling studies were conducted in distilled water at room temperature, and the water uptake of each crosslinked sample was evaluated over time. The results showed that Al³⁺-CMC fibers had the highest swelling ratio, whereas Fe³⁺-treated fibers demonstrated more limited swelling due to their denser network structure. Ce³⁺-CMC fibers displayed intermediate behavior. Linear density analysis showed an increasing Tex trend from Al³⁺- to Ce³⁺- and Fe³⁺-crosslinked fibers, consistent with their respective swelling behaviors and morphological characteristics. To further understand the influence of crosslinking, fiber morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The images revealed distinct differences in surface features, with Al³⁺-treated samples showing more pronounced surface roughness, while Fe³⁺-CMC fibers were smoother and more compact. These findings suggest that the choice of trivalent crosslinker significantly influences both the swelling characteristics and morphology of CMC fibers. The tunable properties of these ionically crosslinked fibers indicate their potential suitability for various applications such as controlled release systems, wound dressings, and biodegradable packaging materials.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Polymer Research provides a forum for the prompt publication of articles concerning the fundamental and applied research of polymers. Its great feature lies in the diversity of content which it encompasses, drawing together results from all aspects of polymer science and technology.
As polymer research is rapidly growing around the globe, the aim of this journal is to establish itself as a significant information tool not only for the international polymer researchers in academia but also for those working in industry. The scope of the journal covers a wide range of the highly interdisciplinary field of polymer science and technology, including:
polymer synthesis;
polymer reactions;
polymerization kinetics;
polymer physics;
morphology;
structure-property relationships;
polymer analysis and characterization;
physical and mechanical properties;
electrical and optical properties;
polymer processing and rheology;
application of polymers;
supramolecular science of polymers;
polymer composites.