Preparation and Enhancing Properties of pH‐Sensitive Hydrogel in Light of Gum Ghatti‐cl‐poly(acrylic acid)/ – o‐MWCNT for Sodium Diclofenac Drug Release

Gum ghatti (GG) is used as a biopolymer, acrylic acid (AA) is used as a synthetic monomer, ammonium persulphate (APS) is used as an initiator, and methylene bis‐acrylamide (MBA) is used as a cross‐linker in the current study to create gum ghatti‐cl‐poly(acrylic acid)‐o‐MWCNT hydrogels. The –o‐MWCNT (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg) is added to the hydrogel as a filler. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses are used to characterize the crosslinked hydrogels. The successful polymerization of the graft is confirmed by these spectroscopic studies. Sodium diclofenac (SD) as a model drug is utilized. Swelling tests are also conducted at pH 6.8 on all prepared hydrogels. In a similar manner, all hydrogel preparations are subjected to an in vitro study at neutral (pH 7.4), acidic (pH 1.2), and basic (pH 9.2) mediums, and a higher drug release is observed at pH 7.4. The Higuchi model, the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, and various zero‐order and first‐order kinetics are utilized in the investigation of the drug release order mechanism from the hydrogels. The drug release data favor the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, which describes the “n” diffusion exponent that controls the drug release mechanism from synthesized hydrogels. The “n” values control the Fickian diffusion (Case‐I diffusional) like coupled diffusion (0.45 ≤ n). According to the results presented here, GGAACNT‐based hydrogels can be used in biomedical fields, especially for controlled drug release. Gum ghatti‐cl‐poly(acrylic acid)‐o‐MWCNT hydrogels are prepared by the free‐radical polymerization technique with the addition of Gum ghatti (GG) as a biopolymer, acrylic acid (AA) as a synthetic monomer, ammonium persulphate (APS) as an initiator, and methylene bis‐acrylamide (MBA) as a cross‐linker. Oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (‐o‐MWCNT) with several amounts (0 to 50 mg) are used as a filler. The drug release data favors the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, which describes the ‘n’ diffusion exponent that controls the drug release mechanism from synthesized hydrogels, with the ‘n’ values controlling the Fickian diffusion (0.45 ≤ n) (Case‐I diffusional) like coupled diffusion.