Structural and swelling properties of hydrogel membranes based on chitosan crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and sodium tripolyphosphate

Chemically and physically crosslinked chitosan hydrogel membranes were obtained by treatment of chitosan (Ch) with glutaraldehyde (GA) and with GA and subsequently with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). The formation of covalent and ionic crosslinks between Ch, GA and ionic TPP was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The studies of dynamic swelling behaviour of synthesized membranes in buffer solutions of different pH (1.0, 7.4, 9.0) indicated that the swelling process obeyed a second-order kinetics. Values of an apparent swelling rate constant for Ch/GA and Ch/GA/TPP membranes were of the same order for acidic and neutral swelling media but they increased for alkaline solutions.