Thermodynamic properties of chitosan-based hydrogels in the range 0–350 K

The heat capacity, the temperature, and the enthalpy of physical transformations of hydrogels based on the copolymer of acrylamide and chitosan with N,N-methylene-bis(acrylamide) as a crosslinking agent, hydrogels based on the mixture of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and chitosan with glutaric aldehyde as the crosslinking agent, and dehydrated hydrogels has been studied in the range 85–350 K with the use of adiabatic vacuum calorimetry. The temperatures and enthalpies of melting of free water in hydrogels have been determined. From the experimental data obtained, the thermodynamic functions C° p (T), H° (T) − H°(0), S° (T) − S°(0), and G° (T) − H°(0) have been calculated for the temperature range 0–350 K. The ratio of free and bound water in the hydrogels under study has been determined by calorimetry.