Characterizations of chitosan‐based highly porous hydrogel—The effects of the solvent

Abstract In this study, the influences of different solvents on highly porous chitosan (CS)‐based hydrogel have been investigated by monitoring the characterizations of the hydrogel. The results determined from rheological analysis and scanning electron microscope showed that all the CS dissolved in different solvents used in this study, when neutralized by α,β‐glycerophosphate solution, could transform into a highly porous three‐dimensional hydrogel at a certain temperature, and the aperture size and shape of the pores were related to solvent variety and solvent strength. The cytocompatibility and in vivo injection experiments demonstrated that the hydrogel prepared with acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, or lactic acid as the solution of CS had low toxicity and high histocompatibility. This study suggested that the gelation temperatures, pH values, turbidity, complex viscosities, and porous structures of the hydrogels for certain experimental applications could be tailored by adjusting the solvent variety and solvent strength of the CS solution. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012