(430g) Responsive Coatings from Low-Methoxyl Opuntia Ficus-indica Cactus Intended for Controlled Release Applications
AIChE Annual Meeting
2019
2019 AIChE Annual Meeting
Engineering Sciences and Fundamentals
Tribute to Jacob Israelachvili II (Invited Talks)
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 - 5:40pm to 6:00pm
Herein, ultra-thin coatings of Opuntia ficus-indica cactus pectin were fabricated as surface-attached hydrogel networks by spin-casting solutions of pectin followed by Ca2+ induced cross-linking. The pH- and thermal-responsive behaviors of cactus pectin networks were assessed by characterizing the swelling behaviors using ellipsometry. The coatings displayed a remarkable capacity to sensitively interact with Ca2+ ions due to the presence of a large number of carboxyl groups. Additionally, the coatings demonstrated responsiveness to the pH and to a lesser extent temperature variations.
Promising properties including inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability, high molecular weight, along with responsive behavior indicate the potential utility of coatings of cactus pectin in controlled release applications.