Ca(II) and Ce(III) homogeneous alginate hydrogels from the parent alginic acid precursor: A structural study

Alginate hydrogels are suitable for the encapsulation of biomolecules and microorganisms for the building of bioactive materials. Several alternatives to the conventional alginate formulation are being studied for a broad range of biotechnological applications; among them the crosslinking of alginat...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sonego, Juan Manuel, Santagapita, Patricio Román, Perullini, Ana Mercedes
Publicado: 2016
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_14779226_v45_n24_p10050_Sonego
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_14779226_v45_n24_p10050_Sonego
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Sumario:Alginate hydrogels are suitable for the encapsulation of biomolecules and microorganisms for the building of bioactive materials. Several alternatives to the conventional alginate formulation are being studied for a broad range of biotechnological applications; among them the crosslinking of alginate by lanthanide cations, Ln(iii), envisages expanded biomedical applications. The performance of these functional materials is highly related to the microstructure of the alginate matrix, which in turn is affected by the conditions of synthesis. In particular, when a diffusing gradient of the crosslinking cation is involved, microstructure inhomogeneities are expected at the macroscopic level. Here we discuss the subtle differences in the microstructure, as assessed by SAXS (Small Angle X-ray Scattering), established in the direction of the gradient of diffusion of Ca(ii) or Ce(iii). © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.