Electron Beam Crosslinking as a Strategy for the Synthesis of Pectin/PVA Aerogels: Effect of Concentration and Radiation Dose.

Radiation techniques represent an innovative and alternative method for polymer gelation or crosslinking; their application in aerogel research has not been extensively investigated. The irradiation of polymer solutions, either with or without a crosslinking agent, may result in stable polymer gels with a highly developed mesoporous structure. In this study, the effect of the pectin polysaccharide concentration, the presence of PVA, and the dose of ionizing radiation (27-58 kGy) were systematically investigated, particularly with respect to the structural, textural, and mechanical properties. The pectin/PVA and PVA were crosslinked in aqueous solution via ionizing radiation using an electron beam. The results demonstrated that the radiation crosslinking of a hydrophilic synthetic polymer in the presence of natural polysaccharides, such as pectin, is an effective strategy for engineering porous materials with a controlled structure, namely aerogels, of good stability, and favorable functional properties. The resulting composite aerogels were characterized by a BET-determined specific surface area of 200-241 m2/g and an estimated porosity of over 91%, compared with values of 28-46 m2/g, 0.22 g/cm3 and approximately 81.5% for aerogels produced using the freeze-thaw method.