Synthesis and characterization of thermo- and pH-responsive bacterial cellulose/acrylic acid hydrogels for drug delivery

► Stable and biocompatible hydrogels can be synthesized from bacterial cellulose. ► Hydrogel characteristics can be adjusted by varying AA content and irradiation dose. ► Adjustable characteristics include gel fraction, density, porosity, and swelling. ► BC/AA hydrogels exhibit temperature- and pH-sensitive swelling behavior. ► BC/AA hydrogels are promising candidate drug-release systems for protein based drugs.