engleski

Electrochemical characterization of an aggregating system: calcium-alginate

Formation of alginate gel microparticles (size range 10-300 &micro ; m) induced by calcium addition in an aqueous electrolyte solution was characterized by chronoamperometry at the dropping mercury electrode (DME). The conformational transition of alginate in solution in the presence of divalent cations leads to the formation of physical hydrogel (non-covalently cross linked network). The transformation of alginate free polymers in a solution to gel microparticles, was measured through distinct differentiation of electrochemical response of polymer adsorption from interaction of individual GeP at the DME/solution interface. In this study we present the electrochemical signals of alginate GeP that appear owing to their specific interactions at the DME/aqueous electrolyte interface. Adding calcium (30 mM) to alginate solution (50 mg/L) maximum in GeP concentration was reached (10^7/L) whereas the concentration of free polymers decreased to 15 mg/L. The aim of this work was to validate in situ electrochemical methodology for studying aggregation and gellation of biopolymers in seawater.

alginate gel; electrochemical signals of gel microparticles; calcium-alginate systems

nije evidentirano