pH-Sensitive Hydrogels Based on Copolymers of Chitosan with Acrylamide and Sodium Acrylate

pH-sensitive hydrogels based on chitosan-graft-poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate) were synthesized via radical polymerization in solution. Ammonium persulfate was used as initiator, and various amounts of hexamine were used as a cross-linking agent. The structure of obtained hydrogels was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Moisture-absorbing power of hydrogels in buffer solution with various pH value (pH = 1.65; 4.01; 12.43) was investigated. It is turned out that such a copolymers have a high moisture retention capacity (swelling index attains the value 1100%) and are capable for reusing, that makes it possible to apply the hydrogels in different areas.