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Environment‐sensitive carbon nanotube/polymer composite microhydrogels synthesized via a microfluidic reactor
Author(s) -
Hou Chengyi,
Ji Leipeng,
Zhang Qinghong,
Li Yaogang,
Wang Hongzhi
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.37944
Subject(s) - acrylic acid , materials science , carbon nanotube , microfluidics , polymer , self healing hydrogels , polymerization , microreactor , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , chemical engineering , monomer , composite number , polymer chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , engineering
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide‐ co ‐acrylic acid) composite microhydrogels are simply synthesized with controllable size distribution via a microfluidic reactor system. Monomers ( N ‐isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid) are rapidly copolymerized (about 3 s) with the embedding of nanoscaled inorganic materials (MWCNTs and hectorites) in microfluidic channels. MWCNTs/hectorites act as “molecular heater” and inorganic crosslinkers in this hydrogel system. As a result, microminiaturization, multifunctionalizaion, and modification of traditional polymer hydrogels are realized simultaneously. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to confirm polymerization and environment‐sensitive tests are done as well. The resultant microgels exhibit dual near‐infrared and pH response with good reversibility, indicating their potential applications in microreactor fields. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013