Gelatin with hydrophilic/hydrophobic grafts and glutaraldehyde crosslinks

Abstract

Abstract Acrylic monomers were graft copolymerized onto gelatin chains using potassium persulfate in aqueous medium. The graft copolymers were then treated with glutaraldehyde to establish crosslinks between gelatin macromolecules. This yielded a rigid water insoluble protein network sporting grafted chains at random. The chemistry of the acrylic monomer decided the hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of the ultimate product. This paper describes the preparation and properties of such grafted, crosslinked gelatins.