Synthesis and property of superabsorbent polymer based on cellulose grafted 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid

An eco-friendly superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was prepared by grafting 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid onto microcrystalline cellulose in lithium chloride/ N, N -dimethylacetamide system. The synthesized SAP (cellulose- g -PAMPS) was characterized by FTIR, TGA , SEM, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR and XRD. The water absorption equilibrium of cellulose- g -PAMPS could be achieved within 10 min in distilled water. Moreover, the maximum water absorption capacities of cellulose- g -PAMPS in distilled water, 0.9 wt% NaCl solution and 3.2 wt% Na 2 CO 3 solution were 648.9, 298.4 and 207.3 g·g −1 , respectively. The water absorption behavior of cellulose- g -PAMPS was interpreted by the pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, cellulose- g -PAMPS could be used in some extreme conditions due to its high acid and alkali resistance. The water retention rate of cellulose- g -PAMPS could be maintained above 90 % at 25 °C for 6 h. As a consequence, the synthesized SAP can be applied to increase the plant growth and survival time under drought conditions, even under saline alkali conditions.