The Polymer Society of Korea

주성빈 (KRICT)

김효정 (한국화학연구원)

As droughts become more frequent with climate change, there is growing demand for environmentally friendly superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) that can help improve water retention in soils. In this study, we developed a biodegradable SAP based on chitosan grafted with poly(acrylic acid). By controlling the spacing and network, the water absorption performance was significantly improved, and the water absorption capacity of up to 305 g/g was achieved. This SAP is easily degraded by chitinase, and when added to the soil in small amounts (less than 1%), it more than doubled the water retention time of sandy soil. In addition, the germination rate and growth of corn and kidney beans were improved under limited moisture conditions. This study demonstrates the potential of chitosan-based SAPs to be applied as a sustainable water management strategy in agricultural fields.