Preparation of cellulosic drug-loaded hydrogel beads through electrostatic and host–guest interactions

Cyclodextrin-grafted cellulosic hydrogel beads (CD + @HEC-CMC-gel) were prepared through electrostatic and host–guest interactions. β-Cyclodextrin (CD + ) modified with quaternary ammonium groups was used as the electropositive binding site, and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in a double-network hydrogel structure was used as the electronegative binding site. The double-network structure was obtained by controlling the crosslinking of CMC and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) in the presence of epichlorohydrin. The electrostatic interaction was used to graft CD + onto the electronegative double-network structure. Scanning electron microscopy indicated an obvious change in the cellulosic double network after grafting of CD + . The grafting content of CD + in CD@HEC-CMC-gel is determined as 93.10 ± 0.74% by the photometric titration method. In order to evaluate the assembling and releasing ability, ibuprofen (IBU) was selected to be encapsulated in CD + @HEC-CMC-gel by host–guest interaction. In addition, the release of IBU by the hydrogel beads was explained by several kinetic models. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 46593.