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Water‐Swollen Hydrogels with Pendant Terthiophenes
Author(s) -
Chen Li,
Gong Jian P.,
Ohsedo Yutaka,
Osada Yoshihito
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200390034
Subject(s) - swelling , copolymer , dissociation (chemistry) , self healing hydrogels , chemistry , polymer chemistry , acrylic acid , acrylate , polyelectrolyte , materials science , organic chemistry , polymer , composite material
Abstract A chemically cross‐linked and water‐swollen poly(AA3T‐ co ‐AA) gel having pendant terthiophenes was synthesized by radical copolymerization of [(2,2′:5′,2″‐terthiophen‐5‐yl‐)methyl acrylate] (AA3T) and acrylic acid (AA), and its swelling, dissociation, and doping behaviors were studied. The gel swells in high pH solution, which is associated with the dissociation and, hence, electrostatic repulsion of the AA units, and the pH value at which the swelling starts increases with increasing AA3T composition. The dissociation of the gels is suppressed, presumably due to the incorporation of the hydrophobic AA3T unit, and, once started, the dissociation could be promoted by AA3T in the low pH region. Poly(AA3T‐ co ‐AA) copolymers and gels can be easily electrochemically and chemically doped. The volume change of the gels is observed during doping/undoping and the maximum volume change reached was about 50%.The pH dependence of the degree of swelling, q , for poly(AA3T‐ co ‐AA) gels with various F at 25 °C. (•) F = 0.11, DCL = 20%; (▪) F = 0.05, DCL = 20%; (▴) F = 0, DCL = 10%.