PVA/CMC/Attapulgite Clay Composite Hydrogel Membranes for Biomedical Applications: Factors Affecting Hydrogel Membranes Crosslinking and Bio-evaluation Tests

Abstract Herein, polyvinyl alcohol-carboxymethyl cellulose (PVA-CMC) composite hydrogel membranes were prepared using solution-casting method, where citric acid (CA) was added as crosslinker in different ratios of (7, 10 and12 wt%). Attapulgite clay extracted from Northwestern Desert Borg El-Arab, Egypt; incorporated nanofiller (1, 2, 4, and 5 wt%) into for improving their mechanical/ thermal stability. Results revealed that, physicochemical properties e.g. swelling%, tensile strength morphology affected significantly by concentrations crosslinker. Also, attapulgite with concentration 1 (wt%) enhanced mechanical membranes, compared to other concentrations. Furthermore, protein adsorption %, hydrolytic degradation, hemolysis (%) antimicrobial activity contents CA Four bacterial pathogens Candida albicans , Escherichia coli Klebsiella pneumoniae Bacillus cereus used testing membranes. referred increasing led a high %; however, reduced %. Meanwhile, low offered the most effective resistance against tested microbes. These findings are referring ability PVA-CMC-attapulgite crosslinked good candidate biomaterials dermal wound dressings.