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Versatile Mechanical and Thermoresponsive Properties of Macroporous Copolymer Gels
Author(s) -
Biswas Chandra Sekhar,
Wang Qiao,
Galluzzi Massimiliano,
Wu Yuhang,
Navale Sachin T.,
Du Bing,
Stadler Florian J.
Publication year - 2017
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.201600554
Subject(s) - copolymer , monomer , materials science , dynamic mechanical analysis , rheology , chemical engineering , scanning electron microscope , porosity , lower critical solution temperature , polymer chemistry , elastic modulus , modulus , morphology (biology) , composite material , polymer , biology , engineering , genetics
Random copolymer gels of N ‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N ‐ethylacrylamide (NEAM) are synthesized using different monomer compositions in 1:1 methanol–water mixtures. The samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and rheological studies. It is observed that with the variation of the monomer compositions in the reaction mixture, the thermoresponsive, morphological, AFM, and rheological properties varied significantly. Porosity and roughness of the gels gradually increase with the gradual increase in NIPAM loading in the gels, lower critical solution temperature, mechanical strength (Young's modulus, storage modulus) significantly decreases with the increase in poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) loading in the gels. All results can be explained on the basis of the differences in thermoresponsive character of homo‐ and copolymer gels of NIPAM and NEAM in water, their composition in the reaction mixtures, and their different kind of interactions with solvents.