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Polysaccharides, Volume 5, Issue 3 (September 2024) – 2 articles

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14 pages, 2511 KiB  
Article
Functional Agarose Hydrogels Obtained by Employing Homogeneous Synthesis Strategies
by Martin Gericke, Markus Witzler, Astrid Enkelmann, Gerlind Schneider, Margit Schulze and Thomas Heinze
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(3), 184-197; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030014 - 28 Jun 2024
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Abstract
The goal of this study was to explore a route for introducing functionalities into agarose-based hydrogels to tune the physical, chemical, and biological properties. Several agarose derivatives were prepared by homogeneous synthesis, including anionic agarose sulfates (ASs), reactive azido agaroses (AZAs), and cationic [...] Read more.
The goal of this study was to explore a route for introducing functionalities into agarose-based hydrogels to tune the physical, chemical, and biological properties. Several agarose derivatives were prepared by homogeneous synthesis, including anionic agarose sulfates (ASs), reactive azido agaroses (AZAs), and cationic agarose carbamates (ACs), as well as agarose tosylates (ATOSs) and agarose phenyl carbonates (APhCs). The products were characterized in terms of their molecular structure and solubility behavior. The results suggest that the native gel-forming ability of agarose is retained if the introduced functionalities are hydrophilic, and the overall degree of substitution is low (DS < 0.5). Thus, functional hydrogels from several agarose derivatives could be obtained. The mechanical stability of the functional hydrogels was decreased compared to native agarose gels but was still in a range that enables safe handling. An increase in mechanical strength could be achieved by blending functional agarose derivatives and agarose into composite hydrogels. Finally, it was demonstrated that the novel functional agarose hydrogels are biocompatible and can potentially stimulate interactions with cells and tissue. Full article
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15 pages, 3352 KiB  
Article
Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Natural Fibers: Determination of the Kinetic Triplet and Lifetime Prediction
by Heitor Luiz Ornaghi, Jr., Maíra Faccio and Márcio Ronaldo Farias Soares
Polysaccharides 2024, 5(3), 169-183; https://doi.org/10.3390/polysaccharides5030013 - 27 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Natural fibers have been widely employed in different fields as composite materials. However, the thermal behavior of natural materials is not fully understood since the chemical components chemically interact with each other. Put simply, the thermal degradation kinetics of natural fibers are of [...] Read more.
Natural fibers have been widely employed in different fields as composite materials. However, the thermal behavior of natural materials is not fully understood since the chemical components chemically interact with each other. Put simply, the thermal degradation kinetics of natural fibers are of crucial importance in the academic and industrial fields. This study objectively fully investigated the thermal behavior of different natural fibers using the thermal kinetic method criteria, as described by the ICTAC (International Committee of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry). The kinetic triplet (activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and reaction mechanism) was determined as a function of the conversion degree. For all plant fibers, the results indicated an autocatalytic process with an average activation energy and pre-exponential factor of 200 kJ·mol−1 and 40 s−1, respectively. The activation energy can be mainly attributed to the cellulose component, while the pre-exponential factor is due to the possible compensation effect as a mathematical artifact of the Arrhenius-based equation. Finally, the lifetime prediction of the plant fibers was estimated using the pre-determined kinetic triplet parameters to estimate the plant fiber stability under isothermal conditions. Full article
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