Cellulose-based Hydrogel Research Articles

Anisotropic, strong, self-adhesive and strain-sensitive hydrogels enabled by magnetically-oriented cellulose/polydopamine nanocomposites

Recently, great efforts have been devoted to developing conductive adhesive hydrogels to meet the needs of various applications. However, grand challenges remain in achieving anisotropic hydrogels simultaneously featuring multiple properties using natural polymers and renewable resources. Here, a cellulose-based conductive hydrogel with strong, ultrastretchable, and adhesive properties is prepared via a simple magnetic field-induced strategy. This strategy involves the formation of a suspension mixture with well-oriented cellulose-polydopamine nanocomposites under magnetic fields, followed by rapid orientation via covalent crosslinking. The tensile strength of the oriented hydrogel in longitudinal direction is ~0.22 MPa, which is ~1.4 times higher than that in radial direction. Moreover, the hydrogel shows good cyclic loading-unloading ability, high conductivity (6.9 ± 0.6 S m−1), and strong adhesion (71 kPa). The hydrogel also shows significant anisotropic properties and made it a versatile platform for wearable sensors to monitor large and subtle human motion in the foreseeable future.

Synthesis of bio-based MIL-100(Fe)@CNF-SA composite hydrogel and its application in slow-release N-fertilizer

With the severe shortage of water resources and the low utilization efficiency of fertilizer, slow-release fertilizer equipped with water-absorbing and water-retaining capacity has captured much attention. Herein, by integrating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) and sodium alginate (SA), a novel cellulose-based hydrogel (MIL-100(Fe)@CNF-SA) was fabricated that acted as a carrier for urea. The resultant hydrogel was not only qualified with a high surface area of 129.17 m2/g but also affluent in the hydrophilic groups. In parallel with the good water-holding capacity of 55% when the loading of the resultant hydrogel was only 0.5 g, the complete loss of the water in the treated soil was successfully slowed down by nearly 20 d compared with the soil without treatment. Urea (1.47 g/g) could be captured in the composite hydrogel, wherein the slow release of urea was achieved due to the synergism of the highly porous structure of the hydrogel and the crystals with a high specific surface area. Moreover, the positive effect of the resultant hydrogel on the growth of wheat was indexed to the germination rate, number of tillers, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of the crop, which verified their further application in irrigating farming.

Synthetic chemistry of cellulose hydrogels-A review

Cellulose and its derivatives are important materials with a unique chemical makeup that can be used to make customized hydrogel networks. This study includes an overview of the basic synthetic processes, as well as an overview of the many types of hydrogels produced, different starting materials used, and the reaction conditions for the synthesis. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the vast applications of cellulose-based hydrogels as well as their distinct characteristics. This review discusses the various forms of cellulose hydrogels that are synthesized using simple cellulose and different cellulose derivatives.

Synthesis of hydrogel from sugarcane bagasse extracted cellulose for swelling properties study

Insolubility of cellulose in common solvent had been a challenge in generating cellulose hydrogels. In the present work, hydrogels from sugarcane bagasse extracted cellulose and modify with synthetic polymer, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and cross-linker, glutaraldehyde (GA) was synthesize. Cellulose was isolated from sugarcane bagasse via pre-treatment with 4 vol% sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and 10 wt% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The cellulose extracted was dissolved in ZnCl2/CaCl2 solution at 65 ℃ to fabricate self-standing cellulose hydrogel without cross-linker. Another cellulose hydrogel was generated and immersed into 5 wt% GA solution to cross-link the cellulose chains. To improve the stability and swelling properties of cellulose, PVA was introduced into the hydrogel by using GA to cross-link cellulose chains with PVA chains. The resulting hydrogels were characterized with Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and solid state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural determination. Three self-standing cellulose-based hydrogels, including regenerated cellulose (RC), GA cross-linked cellulose (C-GA), followed by PVA and GA cross-linked cellulose (C-GA-PVA) were successfully generated from ZnCl2/CaCl2 dissolution system and each hydrogel possessed different physical aspects. The occurrence of chemical cross-linking reaction between cellulose, GA and PVA was further evidenced by the data analyzed from ATR-FTIR and NMR spectra. The swelling degree of hydrogels generally increase after the addition of PVA and GA into cellulose suspension, showing 52 % (RC), 80 % (C-GA) and 135 % (C-GA-PVA). C-GA-PVA possessed the best swelling capability and potential for possible application as water reservoir in agriculture.

Characterization of Chlorhexidine-Impregnated Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Films Intended for the Treatment of Periodontitis.

Periodontitis comprises a chronic inflammation that is initiated by microbiota biofilm. If left untreated, periodontitis may lead to permanent tooth loss. Herein, we propose to design and improve a localized form of therapy comprising a chlorhexidine-impregnated hydrogel. Hydrogel films were prepared by varying the ratio between cellulose (MCC) and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC) using the crosslinker epichlorohydrin (ECH). The hydrogel was loaded with chlorhexidine. Increasing the CMC ratio led to a reduction in the number of pores, an increase in their size, lower glass transition temperature (Tg), decreased Young's modulus, and increased film stretching and affected the time of release. Bacterial and fungal zones of inhibition showed similar activity and were not affected by the CMC and MCC ratio. Hydrogels loaded with chlorhexidine prevented the growth of S. oralis and C. albicans microorganisms and may provide a promising local delivery system for treating periodontitis.

Core-Shell Structured Magnetic Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Nanosorbents for Effective Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution.

This article reports effective removal of methylene blue (MB) dyes from aqueous solutions using a novel magnetic polymer nanocomposite. The core-shell structured nanosorbents was fabricated via coating Fe3O4 nanoparticles with a layer of hydrogel material, that synthesized by carboxymethyl cellulose cross-linked with poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide). Some physico-chemical properties of the nanosorbents were characterized by various testing methods. The nanosorbent could be easily separated from aqueous solutions by an external magnetic field and the mass fraction of outer hydrogel shell was 20.3 wt%. The adsorption performance was investigated as the effects of solution pH, adsorbent content, initial dye concentration, and contact time. The maximum adsorption capacity was obtained at neutral pH of 7 with a sorbent dose of 1.5 g L−1. The experimental data of MB adsorption were fit to Langmuir isotherm model and Pseudo-second-order kinetic model with maximum adsorption of 34.3 mg g−1. XPS technique was applied to study the mechanism of adsorption, electrostatic attraction and physically adsorption may control the adsorption behavior of the composite nanosorbents. In addition, a good reusability of 83.5% MB recovering with adsorption capacity decreasing by 16.5% over five cycles of sorption/desorption was observed.

Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxy Methyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Cross-linked with Citric Acid

Hydrogel is a three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer network which is capable of absorbing large amounts of water, urine, blood, and other biological fluids. The applications of hydrogel are present in various fields such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food, and medical fields. Hydrogel is used as a wound dressing, in a drug release system, in diapers, in and menstrual products. The purpose of this research is to produce carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) hydrogels using citric acid as the crosslinking agent, and to determine the optimum conditions to produce hydrogels with a high absorption capacity of liquids using various concentrations of citric acid. The first step of this research is to mix NaCMC and citric acid by stirring it with an agitator at room temperature until the mixture becomes homogeneous. Then, the mixture is casted in a petri dish and dried for 24 hours at 30°C. Then, the crosslinking reaction was carried out at 80°C for a certain time. After that, the gels are put out of the petri dish and tested to determine their values of water absorption capacity (swelling) and gel fractions. Lastly, the hydrogels are characterized using FTIR and SEM. The results showed that the NaCMC hydrogel with anhydrous citric acid with 10%-wt is the best with 3779.16% swelling ratio and gel fraction of 60%.

Facile preparation of cellulose hydrogel with Achilles tendon-like super strength through aligning hierarchical fibrous structure

The extreme mechanical strength of fibrous connective tissues in the human body, such as ligaments and tendons, has always been challenging for hydrogel scientists. Here, we created extremely strong, purely cellulose-based hydrogels (DCC-E gels). The fracture stress and Young’s modulus of the gels were improved to the level of an Achilles tendon even at their equilibrium swollen state. To make DCC-E gels, regenerated cellulose gels were first prepared with ethanol as the anti-solvent. DCC-E gels were then prepared by applying Drying in Confined Condition method, where regenerated cellulose gels were prestretched and dried while their length was fixed. Although strength improvement of materials is typically only achieved at the expense of toughness, a significant increase in strength was achieved while maintaining high levels of toughness. The high strength and toughness of the DCC-E gels were realized by optimizing the cellulose fibril arrangement from nanoscale to macroscale, which was done by selection of an appropriate solvent used for cellulose regeneration. Parallel aggregated fibrous structures observed in the DCC-E gels are thought to play a central role in the enhancement of both toughness and strength. This study can assist in expanding the application of biopolymer-based hydrogels in tissue engineering and soft electronics.

Enhanced efficacy of transforming growth factor-β1 loaded an injectable cross-linked thiolated chitosan and carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogels for cartilage tissue engineering

Growth factors (GFs) are soluble proteins extracellular that control a wide range of cellular processes as well as tissue regeneration. While transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) promotes chondrogenesis, its medical use is restricted by its potential protein instability, which necessitates high doses of the protein, which can result in adverse side effects such as inefficient cartilage formation. In this work, we have developed a novel hydrogel composite based on the polymer, cross-linked thiolated chitosan; TCS and carboxymethyl cellulose; CMC (TCS/CMC) hydrogel system was utilized as injectable TGF-β1 carriers for cartilage tissue engineering applications. Rheological measurements showed that the elastic modulus of TCS/CMC hydrogels with an optimized CMC concentration could reach around 2.5 kPa or higher than their respective viscous modulus, indicating that they behaved like strong hydrogels. Crosslinking significantly alters the overall network distribution, surface morphology, pore size, porosity, gelation time, swelling ratio, water content, and in vitro degradation of the TCS/CMC hydrogels. TCS/CMC hydrogels maintain more than 90% of their weight and retain their original form after 21 days. TGF-β1 released marginally from TCS/CMC hydrogels as incubation time increased, up to 21 days, with around 18.6 ± 0.9% of the drug stored inside the TCS/CMC hydrogels. On day 21, BMSC treated with TGF-β1 in medium or TGF-β1-loaded TCS/CMC hydrogels grew faster than the other groups. For in vivo cartilage repair, full-thickness cartilage defects were induced on rat knees for 8 weeks. The optimal ability of this novel TGF-β1-loaded TCS/CMC hydrogel system was further demonstrated by histological analysis, resulting in a novel therapeutic strategy for repairing articular cartilage defects.

Highly self-healable and injectable cellulose hydrogels via rapid hydrazone linkage for drug delivery and 3D cell culture

To meet the rising demand of injectable hydrogels with self-healing, robustness and biocompatibility for biomedical engineering, the reversible ketoester-type acylhydrazone linkages was used for the fabrication of novel cellulose-based hydrogel. The ketoester-type acylhydrazone bond exchanged rapidly, endowing the hydrogels with highly efficient self-healing performance without any external stimuli under physiological environment, which was hardly achieved with the widely used arylhydrozone bond. The dynamic hydrogels exhibited tunable mechanical property, pH responsiveness, injectability and biocompatibility, demonstrating immense applications prospect for various biomedicines, such as drug and cell delivery. The pH-responsive controlled release of model drug doxorubicin (DOX) loaded in the hydrogel was demonstrated. In addition, benefitting from the excellent biocompatibility and the reversible ketoester-type acylhydrazone bonds, cells were encapsulated in the hydrogels as 3D carrier. The covalent adaptable network intensified injectability of cell-laden hydrogels and improved the long-lasting viability for cell culture, showing great potential in the biomedical field.

Revealing the enhanced structural recovery and gelation mechanisms of cation-induced cellulose nanofibrils composite hydrogels

In this study, we fabricate physically dual-crosslinked cellulose-based hydrogels by varying coordination bonding effects with the addition of either divalent or trivalent metal cations. The first crosslinked network is created by metal-carboxylate coordination bonds between the cellulose nanofibrils that have abundant carboxyl groups and the metal cations. The second crosslinked network is formed by the reaction of tetra-functional borate ion complex and the hydroxyl groups in polyvinyl alcohol. These physically dual-crosslinked networks are strongly interwoven by non-sacrificial hydrogen bonds, this dual-crosslinked network leads to enhanced recovery characteristics in the resulting hydrogels. We use three interval thixotropic testing to investigate the deformation and recovery behaviors of the hydrogels and plot their structural deformation parameters in phase diagrams to understand the underlying complexity of energy dissipation and viscoelastic dynamics of the dual-crosslinked hydrogels.

Synthesis of a pH-responsive nano-cellulose/sodium alginate/MOFs hydrogel and its application in the regulation of water and N-fertilizer

In order to circumvent the water eutrophication caused by nitrogen loss in agriculture, slow-release and high-water containing fertilizers have captured much attention. Considering the unstable release of traditional slow-released fertilizers, novel strategies need to be designed to meet the steady release of fertilizers. Herein, by integrating cellulose-based hydrogel with MIL-100(Fe), a pH-sensitive Cellulose/MOFs hydrogel (CAM) with a high surface area (45.25 m2/g) was devised. The volume changes and the water adsorption of the hydrogels were uncovered from pH 3 to pH 11, where the highest water adsorption (100 g/g) was achieved at pH 11. Besides, a pH-sensitive urea slow release fertilizer (U-CAM) was also designed. The urea release of the U-CAM at pH 11 was much slower than that of the U-CAM at pH 3, which indicated its potential application in arid regions. In parallel with a favorable water-holding capacity, the totally loss of the soil moisture loaded with U-CAM was slowed down by 18 days as compared with the pure soil. The positive effect of the U-CAM on the growth of wheat was indexed with the germination rate, number of tillers, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of the crop, which verified their further application in irrigating farming.

Impact of the molecular structure of cationic binders on the rheological and adhesive properties of carboxymethyl cellulose-based coacervate hydrogels

Impact of the molecular structure of cationic binders on the rheological and adhesive properties of carboxymethyl cellulose-based coacervate hydrogels

A ratiometric fluorescent hydrogel of controlled thickness prepared continuously using microtomy for the detection and removal of Hg(II)

Mercury ions are one of the most toxic heavy metals and as such they can cause serious risk to the human body and environmental ecosystem. To effectively detect and remove Hg2+ from contaminated water, a new cellulose-based fluorescent hydrogel has been fabricated using a ratiometric probe with carbon dots as energy donor and rhodamine moiety as energy acceptor (CDs-Rho). The probe exhibits a sensitive and linear response to Hg2+ over a wide range from 0–100 μM with a limit detection of 2.19 × 10−9 M and exhibits high selectivity for Hg2+ over other cations. In addition, a series of cellulose-based fluorescent hydrogel slices containing CDs-Rho are continuously prepared using microtomy of a hydrogel, facilitating the large-scale fabrication of functionalized hydrogel slices with controlled thickness. The cellulose-based CDs-Rho (CCR) hydrogel exhibits good sensitivity and excellent adsorption capacity for Hg2+ with ~95% removal efficiency, meeting the requirements for sewage discharge. Moreover, the purified water is successfully used for cell culture and animal growth, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility. Our approach is expected to offer a novel concept for the construction of biocompatible fluorescent hydrogels for the detection of various metal ions and removal by simply swapping the current probe with suitable replacements for a variety of relevant applications.

Cellulose-Based Hydrogels and Aerogels Embedded with Silver Nanoparticles: Preparation and Characterization.

The paper presents the preparation and characterization of novel composite materials based on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) in powder and gel forms. We use a promising synthetic conception to form the novel composite biomaterials. At first MCC was modified with colloidal solution of Ag NPs in isopropyl alcohol prepared via metal vapor synthesis. Then Ag-containing MCC powder was used as precursor for further preparation of the gels. The hydrogels were prepared by dissolving pristine MCC and MCC-based composite at low temperatures in aqueous alkali solution and gelation at elevated temperature. To prepare aerogels the drying in supercritical carbon dioxide was implemented. The as-prepared cellulose composites were characterized in terms of morphology, structure, and phase composition. Since many functional properties, including biological activity, in metal-composites are determined by the nature of the metal-to-polymer matrix interaction, the electronic state of the metal was carefully studied. The studied cellulose-based materials containing biologically active Ag NPs may be of interest for use as wound healing or water-purification materials.

Cellulose-Based Hydrogels as Smart, Green and Controllable Nitrogenous Fertilizers Releasing Agents

Abstract A smart, green, and controllable-release hydrogel based on cellulose was prepared to avoid the problem of soil fertilizer abuse. A field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) demonstrated a wrinkled, rough, lamellar structure with long microtubes. The effect of the cross-linker concentration, epichlorohydrin (ECH), on the physical and mechanical properties in addition to swelling and urea-release kinetics was thoroughly studied. A relatively high swelling ratio, urea entrapment, and proper flexibility were obtained for an ECH concentration of 3.33 %. The swelling kinetics of hydrogel was found to be a second-order process. The maximum swelling value and the initial swelling rate were dependent on cross-linker concentration. The hydrogel exhibited a dehydration shrinkage in saline solution. A significantly high urea release of 6.61 % at 3.33 ECH concentrations was estimated. The urea-release mechanism matches well with the Fickian model. Accordingly, the prepared hydrogel is potential as a smart, green, and controllable-release fertilizer for applications in agriculture and horticulture.

Modular biosynthesis of plant hemicellulose and its impact on yeast cells

BackgroundThe carbohydrate polymers that encapsulate plants cells have benefited humans for centuries and have valuable biotechnological uses. In the past 5 years, exciting possibilities have emerged in the engineering of polysaccharide-based biomaterials. Despite impressive advances on bacterial cellulose-based hydrogels, comparatively little is known about how plant hemicelluloses can be reconstituted and modulated in cells suitable for biotechnological purposes.ResultsHere, we assembled cellulose synthase-like A (CSLA) enzymes using an optimized Pichia pastoris platform to produce tunable heteromannan (HM) polysaccharides in yeast. By swapping the domains of plant mannan and glucomannan synthases, we engineered chimeric CSLA proteins that made β-1,4-linked mannan in quantities surpassing those of the native enzymes while minimizing the burden on yeast growth. Prolonged expression of a glucomannan synthase from Amorphophallus konjac was toxic to yeast cells: reducing biomass accumulation and ultimately leading to compromised cell viability. However, an engineered glucomannan synthase as well as CSLA pure mannan synthases and a CSLC glucan synthase did not inhibit growth. Interestingly, Pichia cell size could be increased or decreased depending on the composition of the CSLA protein sequence. HM yield and glucose incorporation could be further increased by co-expressing chimeric CSLA proteins with a MANNAN-SYNTHESIS-RELATED (MSR) co-factor from Arabidopsis thaliana.ConclusionThe results provide novel routes for the engineering of polysaccharide-based biomaterials that are needed for a sustainable bioeconomy. The characterization of chimeric cellulose synthase-like enzymes in yeast offers an exciting avenue to produce plant polysaccharides in a tunable manner. Furthermore, cells modified with non-toxic plant polysaccharides such as β-mannan offer a modular chassis to produce and encapsulate sensitive cargo such as therapeutic proteins.Graphic abstract

Functionalization of Cellulose-Based Hydrogels with Bi-Functional Fusion Proteins Containing Carbohydrate-Binding Modules.

Materials with novel and enhanced functionalities can be obtained by modifying cellulose with a range of biomolecules. This functionalization can deliver tailored cellulose-based materials with enhanced physical and chemical properties and control of biological interactions that match specific applications. One of the foundations for the success of such biomaterials is to efficiently control the capacity to combine relevant biomolecules into cellulose materials in such a way that the desired functionality is attained. In this context, our main goal was to develop bi-functional biomolecular constructs for the precise modification of cellulose hydrogels with bioactive molecules of interest. The main idea was to use biomolecular engineering techniques to generate and purify different recombinant fusions of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs) with significant biological entities. Specifically, CBM-based fusions were designed to enable the bridging of proteins or oligonucleotides with cellulose hydrogels. The work focused on constructs that combine a family 3 CBM derived from the cellulosomal-scaffolding protein A from Clostridium thermocellum (CBM3) with the following: (i) an N-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) domain (GFP-CBM3); (ii) a double Z domain that recognizes IgG antibodies; and (iii) a C-terminal cysteine (CBM3C). The ability of the CBM fusions to bind and/or anchor their counterparts onto the surface of cellulose hydrogels was evaluated with pull-down assays. Capture of GFP-CBM3 by cellulose was first demonstrated qualitatively by fluorescence microscopy. The binding of the fusion proteins, the capture of antibodies (by ZZ-CBM3), and the grafting of an oligonucleotide (to CBM3C) were successfully demonstrated. The bioactive cellulose platform described here enables the precise anchoring of different biomolecules onto cellulose hydrogels and could contribute significatively to the development of advanced medical diagnostic sensors or specialized biomaterials, among others.

Synthesis of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogel from Durian (Durio zibethinus) Rind Using Aluminium Sulphate as Crosslinking Agent

a peer-reviewed, open access online international journal which publishes original research papers. The journal welcomes submission from scholars and experts for possible publication from all over the world. The scope of the journal includes: Pharmaceutical research, chemistry and biochemistry of naturally occurring compounds, biological evaluation of crude extracts, ethnomedicine, traditional and complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, biomedical research, Biotechnology, Evaluation of natural substances of land and sea and of plants, microbes and animals, pharmacognosy, bioavailability, clinical, pharmacological, toxicological studies and pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals, Isolation and characterization of compounds, structure elucidation, synthesis and experimental biosynthesis of natural Product as well as developments of methods in these areas are welcomed in the journal.

Development of New Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Membranes for Aqueous Electrochemical Capacitors

A rapidly growing interest in renewable energy resources requires efficient energy storage systems as well as a need to elaborate a greater number of eco-friendly components. Electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), also known as supercapacitors are a class of energy storage devices that store the energy due to the separation of oppositely charged ions at in the electrical field resulting the formation of electrical double layer (EDL) at the porous carbon electrode/electrolyte interface. EDLCs consist of two porous carbonaceous electrodes pre-soaked with electrolyte and separated with a membrane (separator). The simple electrostatic mechanism of energy storage, lack of chemical changes and faradaic transitions during operation results in high electrical capacitance with respect to classical capacitors, significantly higher power density in comparison to batteries, and practically unlimited life span. Currently, the commercially produced EDLCs typically rely on organic solvents such as acetonitrile or propylene carbonate with the addition of conductive salts. However, such drawbacks as their low conductivity, toxicity flammability and high cost, led to the growth of interest in aqueous electrolytes such as KOH, H2SO4 or simple inorganic salts. Among main advantages of aqueous solvents such features as their higher ionic conductivity, lower viscosity, increased safety, lower cost and ease of assembly under ambient atmosphere, should be underlined.Modern and technologically advanced charge storage devices often require flexible and deformable devices for specific applications. Therefore, a lot of research is held into the development of alternatives for currently used liquid (aqueous and organic) electrolytes, which suffer from two prominent drawbacks — (i) the possibility of electrolyte leakage and (ii) high standards of technology to safely encapsulate electrolyte in the device. To overcome these limitations, the solid-state EDLCs using an ionically-conductive polymer or hydrogel membrane, serving as both the separator and the electrolyte, are under the spotlight. In this respect, a cellulose, built of β-(1→4)-linked D-glucose units, is one of the most prevalent and easily degradable biopolymer. Albeit the wide availability, biodegradability and low cost, the usage of cellulose is limited due to insolubility in most common solvents. The recent alternative, to toxic and flammable organic compounds, such as N,N- Dimethylformamide/N2O4, N-methylmorpholine oxide (NMMO), are ionic liquids (ILs), that have been gaining lately a lot of attention in energy storage systems. Various ILs based on imidazolium, pyridinium and ammonium cation paired with strongly basic anion (e.g., OAc-, HCOO-) were also recently used to dissolve cellulose [1]. However, the requirements of high-purity syntheses and the cost of some of the cations/anions may affect a large scale application.Therefore, our research refers to an alternative route of chemical processing of microcrystalline cellulose, i.e. its dissolution using various wt% ratio of aqueous NaOH/urea mixtures, and further processing into a hydrogel membrane in the presence of cross-linking agents, such as glutaraldehyde and citric acid. The cellulose-based hydrogel membranes will be used as a support for various aqueous electrolytes, including H2SO4, KOH, K2SO4, i.e. most commonly used for aqueous EDLCs. Also, the alternative solutions will be used, i.e. based on polyoxometalates, or more precisely Keggin-type heteropolyacids (such as H4SiW12O40) which according to our recent results seem to be promising candidates to replace conventional acidic/neutral electrolytes [2]. The thickness of the membranes will be adjusted to introduce the minimum volume of electrolyte, i.e. necessary to fill the porosity and all void spaces in the electrode material and to avoid the electrolyte excess. A structure and morphology will be characterized with SEM/EDX, AFM, AT-FTIR, XRD and TGA. The ionic conductivity will be determined using impedance spectroscopy over wide range of temperatures. The designed systems will be compared, in terms of energy, power and cycleability, with their analogues using conventional polypropylene separator in the presence of excess of liquid electrolyte. Acknowledgement Financial support was provided by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR, Poland) under Techmatstrateg Grant no. 347431/14/NCBR/2018.[1] D. Kasprzak, I. Stepniak, M. Galinski, Electrodes and hydrogel electrolytes based on cellulose: fabrication and characterization as EDLC components, J. Solid State Electrochem. 22 (2018) 3035–3047, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-018-4015-y[2] N.H. Wisinska, M. Skunik-Nuckowska, S. Dyjak, P.J. Kulesza, Factors affecting performance of electrochemical capacitors operating in Keggin-type silicotungstic acid electrolyte, Appl. Surf. Sci. 530 (2020) 147273, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147273.