Eco-friendly cellulose nanofiber hydrogels prepared via freeze crosslinking and their applications

Sekine, Yurina

Kensetsu Kikai Seko, 74(2), p.94 - 97, 2022/02

This research has revealed that a high strength hydrogel can be prepared by adding an aqueous solution of citric acid to a frozen carboxymethyl cellulose nanofiber (CMCF) and then thawing the sol. The reaction between the freeze-concentrated CMCF and CA created a rigid porous structure, which resembled the ice crystal structure. The cellulose hydrogel material obtained through this technique exhibited sufficient strength along with a high level of moldability that allows it to be molded into different three-dimensional shapes. In addition, the material has the potential to be used as an adsorbent to remove hazardous substances.