TY - JOUR
T1 - Fast responsive poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide) hydrogels with interconnected microspheres and bi-continuous structures
AU - Kishi, Ryoichi
AU - Matsuda, Aritoshi
AU - Miura, Toshiaki
AU - Matsumura, Kazunari
AU - Iio, Kokoro
PY - 2009/1/28
Y1 - 2009/1/28
N2 - We prepared thermo-responsive polymer hydrogels by γ0-ray irradiation of aqueous solutions of N, N-diethylacrylamide at different temperatures below and above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide) gel had a transparent and homogeneous structure when the radiation-induced polymerization and crosslinking were carried out below the LCST (25 °C) of the polymer. On the other hand, cloudy and heterogeneous gels were formed at temperatures above the LCST of the polymer (>35 °C). From environmental scanning electron microscopy observations, the gels prepared at 35 and 40 °C were seen to show sponge-like bi-continuous porous structures, while those prepared at 50 °C showed a porous structure consisting of interconnected microspheres. For temperature changes between 10 and 40 °C, gels with porous structures showed rapid volume transitions on a time scale of about a minute, not only for shrinking but also for swelling processes, which is in remarkable contrast to the porous poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels.
AB - We prepared thermo-responsive polymer hydrogels by γ0-ray irradiation of aqueous solutions of N, N-diethylacrylamide at different temperatures below and above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide) gel had a transparent and homogeneous structure when the radiation-induced polymerization and crosslinking were carried out below the LCST (25 °C) of the polymer. On the other hand, cloudy and heterogeneous gels were formed at temperatures above the LCST of the polymer (>35 °C). From environmental scanning electron microscopy observations, the gels prepared at 35 and 40 °C were seen to show sponge-like bi-continuous porous structures, while those prepared at 50 °C showed a porous structure consisting of interconnected microspheres. For temperature changes between 10 and 40 °C, gels with porous structures showed rapid volume transitions on a time scale of about a minute, not only for shrinking but also for swelling processes, which is in remarkable contrast to the porous poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels.
KW - Bi-continuous structure
KW - Gel
KW - Microsphere
KW - Poly(N, N-diethylacrylamide)
KW - Volume transition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67349197645&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=67349197645&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00396-009-2002-7
DO - 10.1007/s00396-009-2002-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:67349197645
VL - 287
SP - 505
EP - 512
JO - Colloid and Polymer Science
JF - Colloid and Polymer Science
SN - 0303-402X
IS - 5
ER -