Preparation and Properties of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer/Quaternary Ammonium Chitosan Hydrogels

A novel quaternary ammonium chitosan hydrogel modified by poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer was prepared by using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. The hydrogel was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results confirmed its highly porous three-dimensional network structure. The swelling test of hydrogel proved that it had excellent swelling and pH-sensitive properties. The increasing PAMAM content or quaternization degree led to the increase in swelling properties. And the hydrogel with lower cross-linking agent concentration or quaternary ammonium chitosan concentration exhibited better swelling properties. The antibacterial results indicated that with the increase in the PAMAM content, quaternary ammonium chitosan concentration or cross-linking agent concentration, the hydrogels showed better antibacterial activities against both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Thus, the hydrogel could serve as a promising antibacterial material in the future.