Gelatin–pectin composite films from polyion-complex hydrogels

Preparation and properties of composite films from gelatin and low-methoxyl pectin from simultaneous reversible and permanent polyion-complex hydrogels are presented. Ionic interactions between positively charged gelatin and negatively charged pectin produce reversible physical hydrogels with homogeneous molecular arrangement that improve both mechanical and water resistance but do not alter thermal stability relative to single polymer gels. Subsequent addition of 0.3 weight percent (wt.%) glutaraldehyde crosslinks gelatin heterogeneously, due to the presence of domains with non-uniform crosslinking, as revealed by the structural analysis. Resulting interspersed permanent chemical hydrogel showed a decreased swelling attitude by nearly 10 fold relative to films from gelatin alone and further improved mechanical performance (tensile strength and elongation at break). Results demonstrate that simultaneously exploiting the specific reactivity provided by the functional groups of both biopolymers can be used to create unique new structures with improved properties and offer potential for tailoring these to a wide range of targeted applications.