Metastable Amphiphilic Hydrogels Based on Crosslinked Carboxymethylpullulan

Abstract : Crosslinked carboxymethylpullulan have been synthesized by using the dibromohexan as a crosslinking agent. Two phases are obtained after synthesis: a gel and a sol fraction. The sol/gel ratio is dependent on the variation of the polymer concentration (Cp), the incorporation ratio of the dibromohexan (Rc) and the average molar mass (Mn). The study of the swelling degree in water of the gel fraction has shown that this phase is not stable and that it shrinks after a certain time. This phenomenon is accelerated by an increase in temperature. At a macroscopic level, the gelation point is not reached. Nevertheless, the quantity of dibromohexan incorporated seems to be sufficient to obtain a gel.