SYNTHESIS OF FE3+ION CROSSLINKED GREEN HYDROGEL USING XANTHAN GUM AND SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSE

Abstract

Ever-growing world population is creating immense pressure on the agriculture sector leading to the overexploitation of resources, soil degradation, and water scarcity which in turn reduces crop yield significantly. Current research has been started with the goal of creating new materials for the effective use of water in agriculture in order to stop this damaging cycle. Thus, a series of Xanthan gum (XG) and Carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (NaCMC) based ionic crosslinked hydrogels (XG- Fe-NaCMC1-XG-Fe NaCMC5) were synthesized. The macromolecular chain's abundance of reactive hydroxyl and carboxylate groups makes it possible to connect the chains using multivalent ionic crosslinkers for example trivalent iron (Fe3+). The hydrogels were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo- gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The maximum water-holding capacity of hydrogel-amended soil was observed. Hydrogel was also studied by pot experiment for the wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) growth study. The study confirms that the hydrogel, XG-Fe-NaCMC with maximum thermal stability and improved swelling index has potential application in agriculture by improving the water holding capacity of the soil and can also be applied to agricultural areas as a fertilizer release system.