Building a bio-based hydrogel via electrostatic and host-guest interactions for realizing dual-controlled release mechanism

Bio-based hydrogel containing cyclodextrins (CDs) is of a promising polymer material that could display many advantages including wide availability, sustainability, biocompatibility and biodegradability, especially the inherent encapsulation ability with hydrophobic substance. To obtain these, the electrostatic and host-guest interactions were introduced and a hydrogel with three-dimensional double network structures was built. For preparing a spherical biopolymer cage, hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and modified chitosan (HACC) were cross-linked by a one-pot reaction. The existence of HACC in this hydrogel provides a positive charge core to attract negative host molecule of sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SEB-β-CD). The loading amount of SEB-β-CD were determined by the method of weight increment and photometric titration, respectively, and an average content of active SEB-β-CD in our prepared hydrogel is more than 50%, much higher than the grafting of CD on biopolymers materials through chemical reaction. By the host-guest interaction, hydrophobic molecule of PP could adsorb rapidly in our prepared hydrogel and sustain-release in aqueous solution. Through ion-exchange interaction, different negative ions were studied for obtaining a control release of SEB-β-CD, which is to achieve the purpose of rapid release of hydrophobic guest molecule.