Swelling and DC Conductivity Behaviour of Gelatin-Based Ferrogels

Abstract

Gelatin-based systems have great potential in bio-medical applications. Here, we report the solvent uptake and DC conductivity of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked gelatin hydrogels and ferrogels. Both the parameters are found to depend on cross-linker (glutaraldehyde) and dopant (carbonyl iron) concentrations. Higher cross-linker proportions cause decrease in solvent uptake, equilibrium swelling ratio and DC conductivity. Solvent uptake is seen to increase while equilibrium swelling ratio and DC conductivity decrease with dopant concentration in the ferrogels. The solvent uptake and DC conductivity behaviour of the studied systems are explained on the basis of variations in pore size and polymer segmental mobility which, themselves, are functions of cross-linker and dopant concentrations. The diffusion process in the hydrogels and ferrogels obeys the second-order kinetic model.