Synthesis and Characterization of Iron Magnetic Nanocomposite Super-Absorbent Hydrogels Based on Modified Xanthan Gum using Acrylic Acid

In this research, the superabsorbent hydrogel based on natural xanthan gum was synthesized using acrylic acid as a monomer, ammonium persulfate as initiator and magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as a cross-linking agent. The synthesized hydrogel was evaluated by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. All variables affecting the swelling capacity of the hydrogel including the concentration of cross-linking agent, initiator, and monomer to xanthan weight ratio were optimized. The absorption of the optimized sample was 330 g/g. For examining the quality of the synthesized hydrogel, the absorption of the sample in different salt solutions and its swelling behavior in different pH values were measured. The optimized sample showed minimal changes in pH values from 5-11. Furthermore, in order to study the drug delivery, Diclofenac Sodium was used in two acidic and alkaline buffer environments. Within first 5 hours, the initial drug was released from the optimized sample at pH=8.