Preparation of sodium alginate microspheres reinforced with oxidized and regenerated cellulose and investigation of their encapsulation properties

This paper presents a novel inside-out, layer-by-layer assembly process that combines the sol–gel transphase with pH inversion to prepare cellulose-reinforced sodium alginate (SA) gel microspheres (Q-ACCs). The use of oxidized cellulose (TOCN) in the inner layer resulted in a petal-like morphology and increased the specific surface area of the microspheres. The outermost layer of regenerated cellulose (RC) improved the mechanical properties and water absorption capacity of the hydrogel microspheres. Notably, the microspheres exhibited good encapsulation properties. Remarkable results were achieved when encapsulating fertilizer and Fe 3 O 4 . This study offers promising prospects for the preparation of gel microspheres and the development of functional synergies for producing multifunctional encapsulated materials in various fields. Graphical abstract