Agriculture, a vital element of human survival, confronts challenges of meeting rising demand due to population growth and product availability in developing nations. Reliance on pesticides and fertilizers strains natural resources, leading to soil degradation and water scarcity. Addressing these issues necessitates enhancing water efficiency in agriculture. Polymeric hydrogels, with their unique water retention and nutrient-release capabilities, offer promising solutions. These superabsorbent materials form three-dimensional networks retaining substantial amounts of water. Their physicochemical properties suit various applications, including agriculture. Production involves methods like bulk, solution, and suspension polymerization, with cross-linking, essential for hydrogels, achieved through physical or chemical means, each with different advantages. Grafting techniques incorporate functional groups into matrices, while radiation synthesis offers purity and reduced toxicity. Hydrogels provide versatile solutions to tackle water scarcity and soil degradation in agriculture. Recent research explores hydrogel formulations for optimal agricultural performance, enhancing soil water retention and plant growth. This review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of hydrogel technologies as adaptable solutions addressing water scarcity and soil degradation challenges in agriculture, with ongoing research refining hydrogel formulations for optimal agricultural use.

This study discusses the preparation of biopolymeric hydrogels (a biomaterial) via different techniques, such as casting and extrusion, to compare the effects of the process and the use of citric acid as a crosslinker on the morphology, physicochemical properties, and degree of swelling of the hydrogel. Casting is widely used for its low cost and space-saving nature, but upscaling is problematic. Extrusion offers a way to produce materials in large quantities; these materials can undergo mechanical and thermal energy, which can significantly alter their properties. The samples obtained by extrusion had porous surfaces, which are critical for the water penetration and swelling of superabsorbent hydrogels. In contrast, the hydrogels produced by casting did not form pores, resulting in a lower degree of swelling. Extrusion increased the degree of swelling threefold due to the formation of pores, influencing water absorption and diffusion dynamics, especially in samples with higher starch content, where crosslinking occurred more effectively.

This research work aims to develop low-cost hybrid polymeric membranes with high chiral resolution capacity. A mesoporous material (MCM-41) obtained from rice husk biomass was used to support the chiral selector (S,S)-1-(3,5-dinitrobenzamido)-tetrahydrophenanthrene (Whelk-O®1). This material was incorporated into the polyethersulfone matrix and the structural variables, such as the incorporated content and the polymer–mesoporous material compatibility, were investigated regarding the chiral resolution capacity. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), prepared by the phase inversion method, were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and SEM, confirming the presence of MCM-41-(S,S)-Whelk-O®1. Membrane enantioselectivity was evaluated through filtration tests with the enantiomeric pair of naproxen and using a xanthone derivative, 6-methoxy-9-oxo-N-(1-(p-tolylethyl)-9H-xanthene-2-carboxamide). The concentration of both enantiomers throughout the filtration was monitored by liquid chromatography equipped with a Whelk-O®1 column (25 cm, 4.6 mm i.d., 5 mm particle size, 100 Å pore size) from Regis Technologies. The MMMs exhibited excellent enantioselectivity (α = 16.78) for the xanthone derivative.

This study discusses the preparation of biopolymeric hydrogels (Biomaterial) via different techniques, such as casting and extrusion, to compare the effects of the process and the use of citric acid as a crosslinker on hydrogel morphology, physicochemical properties, and swelling degree. Casting is widely used for its low cost and space-saving nature, but up-scaling is problematic. Extrusion offers a way to produce materials in large quantities; these materials can undergo mechanical and thermal energy, which can significantly alter their properties. The samples obtained by extrusion had porous surfaces, which are critical for water penetration and swelling of superabsorbent hydrogels. In contrast, the hydrogels produced by casting did not form pores, resulting in a lower degree of swelling. Extrusion increased the swelling degree threefold due to the formation of pores, influencing water absorption and diffusion dynamics, especially in samples with higher starch content, where crosslinking occurred more effectively.