The overview of methods for obtaining alginate hydrogels and nanofibers using the electrospinning technique

Abstract

Alginates are anionic polysaccharides, which, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and ease of hydrogels preparations, have found numerous applications, primarily in biomedicine, water purification systems, absorption and adsorption systems. Ionic or covalent alginate crosslinking is almost an inevitable step in the process of preparing materials based on them. Na-alginate hydrogels have poor mechanical properties that can be overcome by combining them with other crosslinked polymers and / or inorganic nanoparticles. This paper gives an overview of the general properties of alginates, methods of their gelation, production of hybrid hydrogels, nanofibers and composite materials based on them.