Synthesis and Evaluation of the Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Plant Growth

Shu Jun, Jong and Suk Fun, Chin and Mohd Effendi, Wasli (2025) Synthesis and Evaluation of the Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Plant Growth. Masters thesis, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology.

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Abstract

Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymeric materials characterised by three-dimensional crosslinked networks capable of absorbing and retaining substantial amounts of water. In recent years, research has predominantly focused on synthesising cellulose-based hydrogels using specific gelling agents, such as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in conjunction with epichlorohydrin (ECH), particularly for agricultural applications. However, comparative studies evaluating the influence of various gelling agents on the physicochemical and functional properties of cellulose-based hydrogels remain limited. In this study, cellulose extracted from paper waste was utilised to synthesise hydrogels incorporating different gelling agents—alginic acid (AA), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), glycerol, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)—crosslinked with ECH. The morphological characteristics and functional groups of the hydrogels were investigated using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. Among the formulations tested, the hydrogel containing 1.0 g of glycerol exhibited the highest swelling ratio, reaching 3562.97%, while the hydrogel formulated with 0.5 g of PEG demonstrated superior water retention capacity at 33.47%. Furthermore, hydrogels prepared with 1.75 g of CMC, 1.0 g of glycerol, and 0.5 g of PEG significantly enhanced soil moisture content, pH, and electrical conductivity across various soil types, including sandy, topsoil, gley, and clayey soils. The cellulose-1.0 g glycerol-based hydrogel also resulted in the highest seed germination with 65% of Choy Sum seeds (Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis). All hydrogel samples exhibited notable biodegradability, with approximately 87% degradation observed by day 60. These findings underscore the potential of tailoring gelling agents in cellulose-based hydrogel synthesis to optimize their performance for sustainable agricultural applications.

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