Development of a Biodegradable Gelatin-Based TiO۲ Nanocomposite Hydrogel as a Promising Candidate for Biological Applications

The development of biodegradable and multifunctional polymeric materials has attracted increasing interest for biomedical and food packaging applications. In this preliminary study, a gelatin-based TiO۲ nanocomposite hydrogel was developed using gelatin as the main polymeric component, a natural polysaccharide-based biopolymer, glycerol as a plasticizer, and titanium dioxide nanoparticles as the functional nanomaterial. Preliminary formulation trials showed that a ۳% (w/v) gelatin solution resulted in an excessively dense structure, whereas reducing the gelatin concentration to ۲% (w/v) improved processability and layer formation. Glycerol was incorporated at ۱.۵% (v/v) to reduce the brittleness observed in the glycerol-free formulation, while TiO۲ nanoparticles were added at ۰.۵% (w/v). The prepared formulation was cast in Petri dishes and stabilized under controlled temperature conditions before being combined with a sponge layer to form a bilayer structure. A preliminary extensibility assessment demonstrated noticeable flexibility of the optimized hydrogel, with a specimen of approximately ۲ cm in initial length extending to nearly ۴ cm before rupture. In addition, the ongoing soil-burial experiment showed progressive structural changes and measurable mass reduction over successive monitoring intervals, indicating promising biodegradation potential. Overall, the developed gelatin-based TiO۲ nanocomposite hydrogel exhibited favorable preliminary flexibility, structural integrity, and degradation behavior, supporting its potential for further development in biomedical applications and sustainable food packaging.

کلیدواژه ها:

Gelatin ، Nanocomposite hydrogel ، TiO۲ nanoparticles ، Biodegradation ، Biomedical applications ، Food packaging