TY - JOUR
T1 - Physically and Chemically Cross-Linked Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Humic Acid Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications
AU - Torres-Figueroa, Ana V.
AU - de los Santos-Villalobos, Sergio
AU - Rodríguez-Félix, Dora E.
AU - Moreno-Salazar, Sergio F.
AU - Pérez-Martínez, Cinthia J.
AU - Chan-Chan, Lerma H.
AU - Ochoa-Meza, Andrés
AU - del Castillo-Castro, Teresa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society
PY - 2023/11/28
Y1 - 2023/11/28
N2 - The preparation method of hydrogels has a significant effect on their structural and physicochemical properties. In this report, physically and chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) networks containing humic acid (HA) were alternatively prepared by autoclaving (AC) and through glutaraldehyde (GA) addition, respectively, for agricultural purposes. PVA/HA hydrogels were comparatively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical assays, scanning electron microscopy, swelling kinetics measurements, and water retention tests in soil. AC hydrogels showed a more homogeneous porous microstructure, higher swelling levels, and a better capacity to preserve the humidity of soil than those obtained by adding GA. Both PVA/HA hydrogels exhibited no phytotoxicity on cultivation trials of Sorghum sp., but the plant growth was promoted with the GA-cross-linked network as compared to the effect of the AC sample. The release behavior of urea was modified according to the preparation method of the PVA/HA hydrogels. After 3 days of sustained urea release, 91% of the fertilizer was delivered from the AC hydrogel, whereas a lower amount of 56% was released for the GA-cross-linked hydrogel. Beyond the advantages of applying PVA/HA hydrogels in the agricultural field, an appropriate method of preparing these materials endows them with specific properties according to the requirements of the target crop.
AB - The preparation method of hydrogels has a significant effect on their structural and physicochemical properties. In this report, physically and chemically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) networks containing humic acid (HA) were alternatively prepared by autoclaving (AC) and through glutaraldehyde (GA) addition, respectively, for agricultural purposes. PVA/HA hydrogels were comparatively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical assays, scanning electron microscopy, swelling kinetics measurements, and water retention tests in soil. AC hydrogels showed a more homogeneous porous microstructure, higher swelling levels, and a better capacity to preserve the humidity of soil than those obtained by adding GA. Both PVA/HA hydrogels exhibited no phytotoxicity on cultivation trials of Sorghum sp., but the plant growth was promoted with the GA-cross-linked network as compared to the effect of the AC sample. The release behavior of urea was modified according to the preparation method of the PVA/HA hydrogels. After 3 days of sustained urea release, 91% of the fertilizer was delivered from the AC hydrogel, whereas a lower amount of 56% was released for the GA-cross-linked hydrogel. Beyond the advantages of applying PVA/HA hydrogels in the agricultural field, an appropriate method of preparing these materials endows them with specific properties according to the requirements of the target crop.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85179407335&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/acsomega.3c05868
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.3c05868
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 38046300
AN - SCOPUS:85179407335
SN - 2470-1343
VL - 8
SP - 44784
EP - 44795
JO - ACS Omega
JF - ACS Omega
IS - 47
ER -