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Intelligent Hydrogels Via Gamma‐Ray Induced Polymerization of Micellar Monomer Solutions and Microemulsions
Author(s) -
Friedrich Tatjana,
Tieke Bernd
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.201050103
Subject(s) - self healing hydrogels , microemulsion , comonomer , swelling , cationic polymerization , polymerization , monomer , polymer chemistry , aqueous solution , pulmonary surfactant , chemical engineering , materials science , micelle , chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , composite material , engineering
Summary: Intelligent hydrogels were prepared upon polymerization of micellar aqueous comonomer solutions and microemulsions containing the cationic surfactant monomer 11‐acryloyloxyundecyltrimethylammonium bromide (AUTMAB) and N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). A chemically and physically cross‐linked network structure is formed consisting of blocks of P‐NIPAM and P‐AUTMAB. The P‐AUTMAB blocks act as physical cross‐linking units improving the mechanical stability of the gel. While pure P‐NIPAM hydrogels are disrupted under low compression, gels polymerized from micellar solution or microemulsion can be reversibly compressed. The presence of AUTMAB in the gel increases the swelling up to a factor of 30 compared with the pure P‐NIPAM gel. Rapid and reversible swelling is observed for hydrogels with an AUTMAB content up to 2.5 wt.‐%.