Abstract
Biodegradable superabsorbent hydrogels (SAHs) derived from chitosan and acrylic acid, cross-linked with vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) were fabricated and characterized. The VTMS was used selectively to foster the water absorption and retaining capacity of the prepared hydrogels. Varying amounts of alumina nanoparticles (Al NPs) were incorporated in order to produce a series of SAHs. The fabricated SAHs were studied for swelling, surface morphology, antibacterial and degradation behavior. The concentration of nanoparticles has a significant effect on swelling ratio of the developed SAHs. CAC 0.08 (contains Al NPs concentration 0.08 g) having higher concentration of nanoparticles showed the highest swelling ratio. The synthesized SAHs showed superlative antimicrobial and biodegradable properties. Being pH responsive and biodegradable in nature, these SAHs proved to be an excellent candidate for the soil conditioning in semi-arid, arid and desert areas for the absorption and retaining of water.