Mechanical Performance and Dye Adsorption of Lignin/Poly(ethylene glycol) Diglycidyl Ether/Sorbitol Polyglycidyl Ether Hydrogels
A bisphenol-A-free lignin hydrogel platform with programmable network density is reported. Lignin was crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PEGDGE) and sorbitol polyglycidyl ether (SPE) via epoxide ring-opening to generate hydrogel networks spanning eleven PEGDGE/SPE ratios. A single compositional lever-the SPE fraction-allowed the predictable densification of the network, translating into a monotonic shift in swelling and viscoelastic/mechanical responses. Importantly, the well-performing hydrogel (LS<sub>1</sub>P<sub>9</sub>) coupled swelling ratio with adsorption functionality, removing 72% methylene blue from water under the tested conditions. This work positions lignin as more than a passive filler: it serves as an active phenolic macromonomer for designing sustainable, multifunctional hydrogels.
Authors
- Hailing Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7060-7006)
- Yu-Peng He
- Yiming Wang
- Guoqing Guan
Institutions
- Ningbo University (CN)
- Hirosaki University (JP)
- Ningbo University of Technology (CN)
- Liaoning Shihua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Polymers
- Published
- 2026-02-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18040489
- Primary Topic
- Lignin and Wood Chemistry
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program
- Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo