Rheology and nanostructure of hydrophobically modified alginate (HMA) gels and solutions

► Strong hydrogels (G' ∼ 100 kPa) were prepared from alginate with grafted octyl side chains. ► Hydrogels of hydrophobically modified alginate (HMA) contain both ionic and physical crosslinks. ► SAXS shows regions rich in the hydrophobic domain surrounded by a crosslinked hydrophilic network.