I also wonder if drying with a freeze dryer or oven have any effect on the amount of swelling ratio.
Yes, provided that you use a shelf type freeze dryer that can control the freezing and the trying of the aerogel.
Control of the freezing step, sets the gel morphology. Care as the process transitions into drying, is required, so that there is a steady process that does not cause any artifact during the drying process.
For retaining hydrogel structure, lyophilization (freeze-drying) is frequently preferred to oven drying at 30-40°C. Lyophilization preserves the hydrogel network's integrity by limiting shrinking and retaining characteristics. It has a smaller influence on the swelling ratio than oven drying, especially at lower temperatures. While oven drying is less expensive, it may result in more substantial structural changes, which may affect the hydrogel's capacity to swell. The decision is determined by the hydrogel's composition and planned use, and preparatory studies are required to analyze the influence of each drying process on the swelling properties of the specific hydrogel.
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