Copolymer hydrogels of acrylic acid and a nonionic surfmer : pH-induced switching of transparency and volume and improved mechanical stability

Copolymer hydrogels were prepared from an aqueous micellar solution of the nonionic surfactant monomer (surfmer) ω-methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)40undecyl-α-methacrylate (PEO-R-MA-40) and acrylic acid (AA) in a one-step reaction using γ-irradiation. The hydrogels were transparent if the polymerization...

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Veröffentlicht in:Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. - 1992. - 27(2011), 6 vom: 15. März, Seite 2997-3005
1. Verfasser: Friedrich, Tatjana (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Tieke, Bernd, Stadler, Florian J, Bailly, Christian
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2011
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Schlagworte:Journal Article
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Copolymer hydrogels were prepared from an aqueous micellar solution of the nonionic surfactant monomer (surfmer) ω-methoxy poly(ethylene oxide)40undecyl-α-methacrylate (PEO-R-MA-40) and acrylic acid (AA) in a one-step reaction using γ-irradiation. The hydrogels were transparent if the polymerization was carried out at pH ≥ 4, whereas turbid gels were obtained if the polymerization was carried out at lower pH. Exposure of the turbid gels to an aqueous solution of pH 11 led to swelling and clearing, whereas subsequent exposure to pH 1 had the reverse effect. Clear gels prepared at pH 4 became turbid, if exposed to an aqueous solution of lower pH and became clear again if reswollen at higher pH. The pH at which clouding set in increased with the amount of surfmer copolymerized in the gel. Pure poly(acrylic acid) (P-AA) hydrogels did not show any changes in transparency if the pH was varied. The presence of surfmer led to more pronounced shrinking and swelling, especially if the gels were prepared at pH 4. The mechanical stability of P-AA and copolymer hydrogels was studied using elongational flow measurements. The presence of surfmer led to increased mechanical stability of the hydrogels. The increase originates from copolymerized micellar aggregates acting as additional, stable cross-linking units in the gel. The true stress at break of copolymer hydrogels prepared at pH 2.4 (or 4) was 5.5 (or 3.4) times larger than for surfmer-free P-AA gels. Possible origins for the higher stability such as complex formation between P-AA and oxyethylene segments of copolymerized PEO-R-MA-40 are discussed
Beschreibung:Date Completed 21.10.2014
Date Revised 04.02.2014
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE
ISSN:1520-5827
DOI:10.1021/la104585k