Preparation and Characterization of Starch/ Acrylamide-Based Hydrogel from Stemona curtissi Tuber)

In this study, hydrogel based on starch of Stemona curtisii was synthesized via free radical polymerization method by using microwave irradiation. In this study, there were three type of hydrogels formulated with different type of starch to acryamide been anaylyzed which were 1:3, 1:4 and 5:3. Based on swelling test, hydrogel with 1:3 was reported to have the highest swelling percentage where this is prove by Scanning Electron Microscope result. The SEM micrograph shows that hydrogel 1:3 have the largest pores size compare to the other two types of hydrogels. The polymerization reaction has been proven to occur successfully based on the analysis using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Cross-linking polymerization process was determine by the present of peak at 1112 cm^-1, 1152 cm^-1 and 1150 cm^-1 in hydrogels 1:4, 1:3 and 5:3 respectively which indicate the formation of C-O-C bond. X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) results showed that all starch-based hydrogels were amorphous. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) gave information that all the blending materials for hydrogel synthesis were of good miscibility and the hydrogel 1:4 was found to have the highest glass transition temperature. From the TGA/ DTG thermogram, hydrogel 5:3 was reported to be more stable to heat as compared to other hydrogels. The results from Tensile test using Universal Testing Machine (UTM) have discovered that hydrogels based on the starch of Stemona curtisii possess a potential to be applied as wound dressing. In this test, hydrogel with the lowest starch content, 1:4 showed the highest Young's elastic modulus value. (author)