Smart Hydrogel of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Grafted Carboxymethyl Polyvinyl Alcohol and Properties Studied for Future Material Applications

A novel grafted copolymer was synthesized from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carboxymethyl polyvinyl alcohol (CMPVA) using adipic dihydrazide as the crosslinker. The optimized grafted CMC-g-CMPVA with formulation 3% CMC and 1% CMPVA is sensitive to different pH conditions and exhibited a high swelling capacity. The swelling percentages were 360, 1440 and 2277% at pH 1, 7 and 11, respectively and could retain the shape of the hydrogel that assists easy handling. This smart copolymer forms a hydrogel that is pH responsive that could be utilized in the specific pH environment such as in waste water management, agricultural industry, and drug delivery system. The grafted CMC-g-CMPVA was found to be biocompatible with the living cells and has excellent survival rate at lower polymer concentration and, therefore, this grafted copolymer can be employed in biomedical applications such as drug delivery system and scaffolds in the tissue engineering.