Physicomechanical Characterization of Poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) Hydrogels Reinforced with TEMPO-oxidized Blue Agave Cellulose Nanofibers

Poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) hydrogels reinforced with TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers were synthesized. The nanofibers were isolated from a local industrial waste, Agave tequilana bagasse, through pulping and bleaching processes followed by a mechanical treatment. Hydrogels containing TEMPO-oxidized nanofibers displayed higher swelling capacity and higher stiffness than hydrogels having untreated nanofibers. These improvements can be attributed to the hydrophilic and highly crystalline nature of the oxidized cellulose nanofibers. The best balance between swelling capacity and mechanical properties was found in hydrogels containing unbleached and TEMPO-oxidized nanofibers at a 0.35 wt% concentration.