Fabrication of composite hydrogels by sonication-assisted assembly of okara cellulose nanofibers and chitosan: structure and properties

BACKGROUNDOkara cellulose is a highly abundant, green, sustainable, and biodegradable polymer with many potential industrial applications. In this study, we fabricated composite hydrogels with okara cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and chitosan (CH) by hydrating, sonicating, and heating them at 100 degrees C for 30 min, and then induced their assembly by cooling. The effects of okara CNF (with and without 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO) oxidation) and CH concentration on the structure and properties of the hydrogels was examined, including their microstructure, surface properties, rheological properties, and thermal stability.RESULTSOur results indicate that there was an electrostatic attraction between the anionic okara CNF and cationic CH, which facilitated hydrogel formation. The surface, textural, rheological, and thermal stability properties were better for the composite hydrogels than for the single CH ones, as well as for the CNF that had undergone TEMPO oxidation. For the TC-CH hydrogels, the contact angle was 39.5 degrees, the interfacial tension was 69.1 mN m-1, and the surface tension was 1.44 mN m-1.CONCLUSIONIn this study, the novel hydrogels developed may be useful as a soft material in a range of applications in foods, supplements, health care products, cosmetics, and drugs. (c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.