PRIYA URMALIYA AND SHAILENDRA YADAV
Abstract
The utilization of agricultural residues for the development of sustainable biomaterials has emerged as an attractive strategy for waste valorization and environmental protection. In the present study, a biodegradable hydrogel was prepared from corncob-derived carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) using glutaraldehyde as a chemical crosslinking agent. Corncob cellulose was isolated through alkali treatment and bleaching, followed by carboxymethylation to obtain water-soluble CMC. The synthesized CMC was subsequently crosslinked with glutaraldehyde under acidic conditions to produce a stable three-dimensional hydrogel network. The prepared hydrogel was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), swelling studies, gel fraction analysis, and water retention measurements. FTIR analysis confirmed successful crosslinking through the formation of acetal linkages between hydroxyl groups of CMC and aldehyde groups of glutaraldehyde. The hydrogel exhibited excellent swelling behavior, reaching an equilibrium swelling ratio of approximately 532% after 48 h, indicating a highly hydrophilic polymeric network. Gel fraction analysis revealed an average gel content of 83.3%, demonstrating effective crosslinking and structural stability. Water retention studies showed that the hydrogel retained nearly 48.5% of absorbed water after 48 h, highlighting its good moisture-holding capacity. The combined results confirmed the successful fabrication of a porous and stable hydrogel capable of maintaining high water uptake while preserving structural integrity. The developed hydrogel represents a sustainable and value-added application of corncob biomass and may find potential use in agriculture, environmental remediation, wound dressing, moisture-retaining materials, and controlled-release systems.