We are pleased to announce a new publication from our research group in the journal Gels. In this study, Nils Münstermann and Oliver Weichold investigated the conditions under which chitosan forms stable hydrogels without additional crosslinkers.
The formation of self-crosslinking chitosan hydrogels using simple carboxylic acids alone is severely limited. Although viscous solutions can be produced with dicarboxylic acids such as oxalic, malonic or succinic acid, stable gels cannot. Stable ionic hydrogels can only be produced by specific chemical modifications such as N-carboxyalkylation or N-succinylation. The length and flexibility of the alkyl spacer and the presence of a covalent bond are crucial for gel formation and mechanical strength. N-carboxypropylchitosan in particular forms very strong gels with low swelling, while shorter side chains produce weaker gels.
Münstermann, N.; Weichold, O.
On the Conditions Determining the Formation of Self-Crosslinking Chitosan Hydrogels with Carboxylic Acids,
Gels 2025, 11(5), 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11050333
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