Abstract:
The main objective of this study was to prepare synthetic hydrogels for biomedical application as wound dressings. The hydrogels of 2-acrylam ido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (AMPS -Na+) were prepared by free-radical polymerization in aqueous solution using Gamma radiation and Ultraviolet radiation method in the presence of N,N’-methylenebis(acrylammide) (MBA) as a crosslinker. In this work studied the effect of different percentages of crosslinker from 0.1 to 1% mol and various monomer concentrations from 30 to 50% (w /v) which used to prepared hydrogels with different crosslink densities. 0.0 1 % (W /W) of hydroxycyclohexyl phynyl ketone was used as a photoinitiator for Ultraviolet radiation technique. The results showed that hydrogels from 30% (w /v) AMPS -N a + with 0.1% MBA was glutinous and did not stay in the sheet form while hydrogels from 50% (w /v) AMPS -N a+ had less flexibility and easy to lacerate. Chitin whisker, prepared from acid hydrolysis of chitin flake, w a s incorporated into AMPS -Na+ hydrogels to improve dimensional stability and enhance their mechanical properties. Chitin whisker contents in AMPS -Na+ hydrogels w ere varied from 3 to 8 % (W/W). AMPS -N a+ hydrogels w ere transparent whereas the chitin whisker reinforced AMPS - N a+ hydrogels became more translucent as the contents of chitin whiskers increased. By addition of chitin whisker, hydrogels had better mechanical properties than those neat hydrogels, the tensile strength and percentage of elongation were higher than that of neat AMPS -Na+ hydrogels. The cytotoxicity of hydrogels was determined by indirect method using MTT assay and L 929 mouse fibroblasts cultured. The hydrogels w ere n on -toxic with L 929 fibroblasts.
