Smart Hydrogels: Application in Bioethanol Production

L.MULKO; E. I. YSLAS; S. BONGIOVANNI ABEL; C.R. RIVAROLA; C. A. BARBERO; D.F. ACEVEDO

Handbook of Composite from Renewable Materials

Wiley-Scrivener

Año: 2017; p. 79 - 106

Hydrogels are crosslinked macromolecular networks formed by hydrophilic polymers that swell in water or similar fluids. Smart hydrogels are stimuli responsive materials, which suffer a phase transition, with volume change, in response to changing environmental conditions such as temperature, pH, solvent composition or electrical stimuli. In this chapter, the synthesis and characterization of smart hydrogels with different porosity (nanoporous, macroporous with open or closed pores) are described. The application of smart hydrogels in bioethanol production is discussed, taking into account the advantage of these materials to generate a safe and biocompatible environment to the yeast.