Synthesis of New Hydrogels Based on Xanthan and Cellulose Allomorphs

The large availability of cellulose in nature and the low cost of cellulose derivatives make the cellulosebased hydrogels particularly attractive. New hydrogels were obtained by chemical cross-linking of different cellulose allomorphs (cellulose I, cellulose II and cellulose III) and xanthan with epichlorohydrin. The preparation conditions of the transparent cellulose hydrogels were established. The equilibrium swelling capacity of the obtained hydrogels was investigated at 37 °C, in distilled water. The obtained values were discussed in correlation with the dehydration heats estimated from the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves. The morphology of hydrogels was studied by optical microscopy. The present work provides a simple and fast method for preparing eco-friendly hydrogels.