Gel beads from novel ionic polysaccharides

Stable gelling systems were obtained by mixing polyanion solutions with solutions containing suitable polycations. Carboxymethyl cellulose was chosen as the polyanion, whilst a number of polycations, with different molecular weights and charge densities, were tested. In particular, both low molecular weight polyamines and new synthetically aminated polysaccharides, derived from pullulan and scleroglucan, were used. Stable gels, in the absence of phase separation, were obtained only with flexible polycationic species. The morphological characterisation of the gel beads obtained were studied by scanning electron microscopy and NMR microscopy.