https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05820-w
Regular Article
Synthesis and identification of Chitosan @ lignin hydrogel and its effect on seed germination
1
College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, 830052, Urumqi, China
2
College of Mathematics and Physics, Xinjiang Agricultural University, 830052, Urumqi, China
3
College of Grassland and Environmental Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, 830000, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
a
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Received:
27
August
2024
Accepted:
8
November
2024
Published online:
2
December
2024
In recent years, the depletion of nonrenewable resources and an increased emphasis on environmental protection have led to significant interest in natural biodegradable polymer hydrogels among researchers. Natural polymers are extensively utilized across various applications due to their exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and renewability. Lignin stands as the second most abundant natural aromatic biopolymer on Earth and is the only aromatic organic raw material with a high degree of polymerization derived from renewable sources. It serves as an excellent substrate for hydrogel preparation and holds considerable promise for agricultural applications. This study developed a lignin-chitosan hydrogel (Chitosan@lignin hydrogel) using lignin as the raw material, chitosan as the structural framework, along with epichlorohydrin and anhydrous calcium chloride acting as crosslinking agents. The swelling ratio of Chitosan@lignin hydrogel in neutral solution reached an impressive 59.26 g/g. FTIR, TGA, and SEM analyses were conducted to characterize the Chitosan@lignin hydrogel's functional groups and morphological features. Experimental investigations into its slow-release urea performance, soil water retention capacity, and degradation characteristics revealed that the water evaporation rate from soil without hydrogel was 14.2% higher than that from soil containing it. Furthermore, Chitosan@lignin hydrogel demonstrated commendable degradation capabilities. Ultimately, pot experiments confirmed that incorporating Chitosan@lignin hydrogel enhanced wheat seed germination rates by 600%. Therefore, Chitosan@lignin hydrogel represents a valuable new biomass energy material in agriculture. This research offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for effectively harnessing biomass resources, while developing pH-sensitive hydrogels.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
