Preparation and properties of carboxymethyl chitosan/oxidized hydroxyethyl cellulose hydrogel

Hydrogel wound dressing is a type of hydrophilic polymer, which has been widely studied and applied in biomedical field. In this study, a simple and non-toxic method was developed to prepare a new type of composite hydrogel, which was formed through the Schiff-base reaction between the aldehyde of Oxidized Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (OHEC) and the amino of Carboxymethyl Chitosan (CMCS). Hence, a series of tests toward this new composite hydrogel which contained its structure and performance was applied. Statistics achieved from those tests showed that this composite hydrogel comprised of some high-quality properties such as suitable gelation time, good swelling ability, suitable water evaporation rate, good blood compatibility and biocompatibility. Considering these properties, this hydrogel has a potential to be explored as wound dressing.