Synthesis and characterization of pectin/poly (sodium acrylate) hydrogels

The aim of the research was to develop a hydrogel tissue expander for orbital implant. To this end, a new superabsorbent hydrogel composed of pectin (PEC) and poly (sodium acrylate) (PAAS) has been fabricated by the free radical copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) in the pectin aqueous solution. The effects of crosslinker content, initiator content and the weight ratio of PEC to AA on the volume expansion ratios of the PAAS–PEC hydrogels were investigated. In addition, the mechanical properties of the PAAS–PEC hydrogels swollen in PBS were evaluated. Furthermore, the morphologies and structures of the PAAS–PEC hydrogels were characterized by SEM, FTIR and TG. The results revealed that the introduction of pectin contributed to the increase of the volume expansion ratio and the decrease of the mechanical properties for the PAAS–PEC hydrogels. These new PAAS–PEC hydrogels could be promising in orbital implant or other biomedical applications.