Fabrication Of Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Xanthan Gum-Based Expandable Hydrogel Foam In Corporation With Nanoclay For Hemostasis

Abstract

This study successfully fabricated a self-expanding hydrogel foam using carboxymethyl cellulose grafted with adipic dihydrazide (CMC-ADH) and oxidized xanthan gum (OXG). The fabrication process utilizes a chemical foaming technique employing calcium carbonate and acetic acid at varying concentrations. This reaction triggers the co-release of carbon dioxide concurrently with the crosslinking reaction between CMC-ADH and OXG. This synergistic process leads to the formation of a stable, interconnected network with micropores and macropores within the hydrogel structure. In the characterization process, first, the foaming capacity was investigated by measuring the foaming force and observing the foaming process under a microscope. Subsequently, the mechanical and rheological properties of the hydrogel foams were analyzed using a texture analyzer and a rheometer. At an optimal initial CO2 content of 80%, the resulting foams demonstrate good mechanical properties, including increased volume expansion ratio, enhanced stability, and improved compressive strength. Microscopic observation and the measured foaming force further validate the successful creation of foams with well-dispersed bubbles generated by the strong expansive force. Moreover, the introduction of montmorillonite (MMT) to the hydrogel foam system also contributed to the more excellent mechanical properties of the material. Finally, in vitro hemocompatibility and hemostasis tests via blood clotting time (BCI), blood clotting index (BCI) as well as blood-tube-inversion method all confirmed the expandable hydrogel foam in this study could act as a novel hemostatic device. These findings highlight the potential of this hydrogel foam to overcome the limits of present treatments for noncompressible torso hemorrhage (NCTH) by strengthening physical blood flow prevention as well as facilitating biochemical hemostatic mechanisms.