pH-Responsive Gamma-Irradiated Poly(Acrylic Acid)-Cellulose-Nanocrystal-Reinforced Hydrogels

A pH-sensitive poly(acrylic acid) composite hydrogel was successfully synthesized via gamma irradiation and reinforced with cellulosic materials of different sizes. Cellulose was extracted from rice husks via alkali and bleaching treatment, and an acid hydrolysis treatment was performed to extract cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Morphological observation of cellulose and CNCs using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed diameters of 22–123 μm and 5–16 nm, respectively. The swelling properties of the fabricated poly(acrylic acid)/cellulosic hydrogels were found to respond to changes in pH, and CNC-reinforced hydrogels performed better than cellulose-reinforced hydrogels. The highly crystalline CNC provided a greater storage modulus, hence acting as a better reinforcing material for poly(acrylic acid)-based hydrogels. SEM showed that hydrogels reinforced with the CNC nanofillers contained a homogeneous pore distribution and produced better interfacial interactions than those reinforced with the cellulose microfillers, thus performing better as hydrogels. These findings demonstrate that gamma-irradiated poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels reinforced with CNCs exhibit a better stimuli response toward pH than poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels reinforced with cellulose.