Hydrogels of Acrylic Acid with Oligoethyleneglycol Methacrylate, Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Graphite Oxide

Changing the content of acrylate-based hydrogels allows adjusting their absorption of liquids. In this study, the hydrogels formed by combining carboxymethyl cellulose and graphite oxide with acrylate and oligoethyleneglycol methyl ether methacrylate monomers were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and SEM and their water absorption capabilities were examined. Swelling tests were performed to investigate the effect of the materials added to the hydrogel structure. The absorption value of hydrogels decreased at the highest and lowest carboxymethyl cellulose concentrations, while the medium carboxymethyl cellulose concentration allowed to obtain the highest absorption. The effect of graphite oxide concentration on water absorption was not detected in the studied concentration range. Due to the biocompatible groups of cellulose and oligoethyleneglycol and biodegradability, the hydrogel has the potential to be used in agricultural and bioengineering applications.