The Microstructure and Swelling Properties of Laminated HAp/CS Hydrogels

Lamellar inorganic materials such as MMT and LDH are expected to improve swelling-deswelling behavior and fatigue property of CS. In this study, laminated hydroxyapatite (HAp)/ chitosan (CS) composite hydrogels with different HAp contents (0, 1%, 2%, 3%) were prepared by means of solution intercalation in this paper. Swelling/deswelling test indicates that 3HAp/CS hydrogel shows the best swelling/deswelling property which is ideal for large drug loading and slow drug release. The intercalated strucure of 3HAp/CS hydrogel was confirmed by TEM investigation.