Advanced composite materials based on hydrogels and ferrites for potential biomedical applications

The paper discusses the synthesis, characterization and microbiological testing of a nanostructured nickel ferrite embedded within polyacrylamide based hydrogels matrix. Nickel ferrite was obtained by the sol–gel autocombustion method using citric acid as chelating/fuel agent, while the hydrogels and the ferrite–hydrogel composites were prepared by an original polymerization-crosslinking simultaneous method using a monofunctional crosslinking agent. The as-obtained samples were characterized by IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, being subsequently used for the attachment of active principles (ampicillin). The microbiological activities of composites were determined against the Staphylococcus aureus test strain. Kinetic studies of drug delivery were performed. tibiotic was progressively delivered both by the ferrite–hydrogel–drug and ferrite–hydrogel with gelatin–drug systems for a longer time.