Kumari Soumya, Rustagi Bhavya, Meena Priyanka, Warkar Sudhir G
Department of Applied Chemistry, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India.
Department of Applied Chemistry, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Aug;320(Pt 3):146010. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.146010. Epub 2025 Jul 14.
Copper (Cu) is a vital micronutrient, and its deficiency can adversely affect plant growth and productivity. Thus, this study aims to design a hydrogel that can supply micronutrients in a sustained manner. The superabsorbent Pectin/poly(sodium methacrylate) (PSMA)/carboxymethyl tamarind kernel gum (CMTKG) hydrogel was synthesized, optimized and loaded with Cu micronutrient. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized using FTIR, SEM, and TGA techniques. The impact of distilled water, 0.9 % NaCl, pH 4, 7.4, 9, and 12 solutions on the swelling was studied. The hydrogel showed high swelling capacity (225.86 g/g in distilled water) and water holding capacity (57 %). The Cu release study demonstrated a sustained Cu release in soil, with 67.02 % released in 60 days, following the Korsmeyer-Peppas model and Fickian diffusion mechanism. The hydrogel demonstrated no toxic effect on soil microbes (Azotobacter). Additionally, the rheological studies revealed that the synthesized hydrogel possesses good elasticity. Additionally, the soil-burial degradability test revealed that hydrogel is 54 % degradable within 60 days, indicating potential for eco-friendly agricultural applications. The results demonstrate that the Cu-loaded Pectin/PSMA/CMTKG hydrogel has potential for sustained Cu release, promoting plant growth while minimizing environmental impact.
铜（Cu）是一种重要的微量营养素，其缺乏会对植物生长和生产力产生不利影响。因此，本研究旨在设计一种能够持续供应微量营养素的水凝胶。合成、优化了超吸水性果胶/聚（甲基丙烯酸钠）（PSMA）/羧甲基罗望子胶（CMTKG）水凝胶，并负载了铜微量营养素。使用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和热重分析（TGA）技术对合成的水凝胶进行了表征。研究了蒸馏水、0.9%氯化钠、pH值为4、7.4、9和12的溶液对其溶胀的影响。该水凝胶表现出高溶胀能力（在蒸馏水中为225.86 g/g）和保水能力（57%）。铜释放研究表明，在土壤中铜能持续释放，按照Korsmeyer-Peppas模型和菲克扩散机制，60天内释放了67.02%。该水凝胶对土壤微生物（固氮菌）无毒性作用。此外，流变学研究表明合成的水凝胶具有良好的弹性。另外，土壤掩埋降解性测试表明，水凝胶在60天内可降解54%，表明其在生态友好型农业应用方面具有潜力。结果表明，负载铜的果胶/PSMA/CMTKG水凝胶具有持续释放铜的潜力，可促进植物生长，同时将环境影响降至最低。
