Construction of cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogels for potential wound dressing application

In this study, novel cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) composite hydrogels were prepared by blending cellulose and CMCS in LiOH/urea aqueous solutions, and then cross-linking with epichlorohydrin. The structure and morphology of the composite hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle x-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that chemical cross-linking reaction between cellulose and CMCS occurred in the hydrogel. Moreover, CMCS contributed to the enhancement of pore size, whereas cellulose acted as a strong backbone in the hydrogel to support the pore wall. The compressive strength of the composite hydrogels was significantly improved from 39.2 +/- 2.2 to 145.2 +/- 2.8 kPa as a result of the increase in cellulose content, while the equilibrium swelling ratio increased rapidly from 33.8 to 154.2 g/g with the increase in CMCS content. The composite hydrogels showed no cytotoxicity towards L929 cells, suggesting good biocompatibility. All these results indicate that the proposed cellulose/CMCS composite hydrogels can be effectively used as wound dressing materials.

Automated summary

In this study, novel cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) composite hydrogels were successfully prepared and showed good biocompatibility. The compressive strength and equilibrium swelling ratio of the composite hydrogels increased with the content of cellulose and CMCS. These composite hydrogels have potential application as wound dressing materials.