**5. Conclusion**

Inspired by the recent studies regarding Polymer/Salecan networks and taking into consideration the numerous researches that highlight the outstanding mechanical properties of the clays, we decided to bring an improvement and study the possibility to synthesize PMAA-Salecan hydrogel nanocomposites based on pristine and modified montmorillonite. Further, the effect of the clay type on the final properties of PMAA/Salecan/clay nanocomposites was followed. With the other parameters kept constant, the morphological and compositional analysis performed gave us the possibility of explaining the physicochemical and thermal features of the fabricated materials as function of Cloisite composition.

The designed structures were investigated with the FT-IR technique, which revealed the presence of the specific partner peaks. X-Ray data, supported by TEM images pointed out a more intercalated structure for the ClNa, which was confirmed by the swelling-deswelling analyses. The presence of exfoliated sheets within the SIPN network prepared with pristine clay was noticed from TEM images. TGA definitely showed that the introduction of Salecan enhanced the thermal stability of the nanocomposites, but no significant distinction was noticed between the samples of different types of inorganic filler. Speaking of mechanical properties, Salecan had a significant impact on the energy dissipation within the semi-IPNs due to its outstanding viscosity properties. The effect of Cloisite and Salecan was expressed by the improved storage modulus and stiffness of the samples.

The more compatible nature of ClNa with the hydrophilic character of PMAA/Salecan hydrogel provided higher swelling capacity, thus slower release in time, which is highly favorable for the designing of a drug release mechanism. As a fact, the smooth architecture of the networks developed with sodium montmorillonite is another reason to believe that the unmodified ClNa would serve as most suitable inorganic filler for the development of an efficient drug release system.

But neither SIPNs obtained with more hydrophobic clays are not to fall and may be employed in controlled *co*-delivery of polar-unpolar drugs. The nontoxicity of the components used sustains the development of semi-IPN architectures with improved mechanical features and adjustable release properties for specific applications in the extensive biomedical domain.
