Hybrid hydrogel based on pre-gelatinized starch modified with glycidyl-crosslinked microgel

Hybrid hydrogels based on pre-gelatinized starch were synthesized by inverse emulsion polymerization through modifying the starch with a glycidyl-crosslinked microgel. Glycidyl-crosslinked microgel is a special latex with high ability to impart hydrophilic characteristics to various substrates. Glycidyl-crosslinked microgel latexes with various structures were synthesized, and the effect of latex type on swelling capacity of the hybrid hydrogels based on pre-gelatinized starch was investigated. The highest swelling capacity was achieved for a pre-gelatinized starch modified with a glycidyl-crosslinked microgel latex based on poly(acrylic acid, sodium acrylate, acrylamide, 2-acrylamide-2 methyl propane sulfonic acid) (AA–SA–AM–AMPS). The swelling values of this hybrid hydrogel in distilled water and saline solution were 52.4 and 28.8 g/g, respectively. A key advantage of these hybrid hydrogels is that starch constitutes 64% of their structure. Given the fact that such hybrid hydrogels display low absorbency under load (AUL), they were surface crosslinked using microwave heating instead of conventional heating. Ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether was used as surface crosslinker. The AUL of the surface crosslinked hybrid hydrogels was increased by 85%. The hydrogels were characterized using FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and rheological measurements.     

Preparation of acrylated agarose‐based hydrogels and investigation of their application as fertilizing systems

In this study, we attempt to synthesize novel acrylated agarose (ACAG)‐based hydrogels with three different crosslinking densities. Acrylate groups were inserted onto agarose (AG) backbone through homogeneous reaction of acrylic monomers with AG backbone. Hydrogels were synthesized through radical copolymerization of a mixture of acrylic acid and 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate with ACAG in aqueous solution using ammonium persulfate as an initiator. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was carried out to confirm the chemical structure of the hydrogel. Moreover, morphology of the samples was assessed by scanning electron microscopy. The equilibrium swelling capacities of synthesized hydrogels were evaluated in various conditions. The absorbency under load and dynamic swelling kinetics of the hydrogels were also studied. Finally, the hydrogels were loaded with potassium nitrate and their potential for controlled release of this salt was investigated by conductimetry. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Synthesis and swelling behavior of thermosensitive IPN hydrogels based on sodium acrylate and N‐isopropyl acrylamide by a two‐step method

A series of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels having higher swelling ratio (SR) and thermosensitivity were synthesized from sodium acrylate (SA) and N‐isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) by a two‐step method. A series of the porous poly(sodium acrylate ‐co‐1‐vinyl–2‐pyrrolidone) [poly(SA‐co‐VP)], (SV), hydrogels were prepared from acrylic acid having 90% degree of neutralization and VP monomer in the first step. The second step is to immerse the SV dried gels into the NIPAAm solution containing initiator, accelerator, and crosslinker to absorb NIPAAm solution and then polymerized to form the poly(SA‐co‐VP)/poly(NIPAAm) IPN hydrogels (SVN). The effect of the different molar ratios of SA/VP and the content of NIPAAm on the swelling behavior and physical properties of the SVN hydrogels was investigated. Results showed that the SVN hydrogels displayed an obviously thermoreversible behavior when the temperature turns across the critical gel transition temperature (CGTT) of poly(NIPAAm) hydrogel. The pore diameter distributions inside the hydrogel also indicated that the pore sizes inside the SVN hydrogels were smaller than those inside the SV hydrogels. At the same time, the more proportion of SA was added into the hydrogel, the larger pore diameter of the SV hydrogel was formed. The results also showed that the SR decreased with an increase of the VP content in the SV hydrogel and more obviously decreased in the SVN hydrogels. The SVN networks also showed stronger shear moduli than SV hydrogels. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Hydroxyethyl chitosan‐g‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐sodium acrylate) superabsorbent polymers

A novel hydroxyethyl chitosan‐g‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐Sodium Acrylate) (HECTS‐g‐(PAA‐co‐PSA)) superabsorbent polymer was prepared through graft copolymerization of acrylic acid and sodium acrylate onto the chain of hydroxyethyl chitosan. The structure of the polymer was characterized by FTIR. By studying the water absorption of the polymer synthesized under different conditions, the optimal conditions for synthesizing the polymer with the highest swelling ratio was defined. This superabsorbent polymer was further treated by the solvent precipitation method and by the freeze‐drying method. We found that the water absorption rate of the treated polymer was greatly increased and the microstructure of the treated polymer was changed from small pores to loose macro pores. The swelling processes of the polymers before and after modification fit first‐order dynamic processes. The amount of the residual acrylic acid was greatly decreased after treatments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Gum arabic–acrylic superabsorbing hydrogel hybrids: Studies on swelling rate and environmental responsiveness

The swelling rate and the environmental sensitivity of novel superabsorbent gum arabic–acrylic hydrogel hybrids were investigated. The swelling kinetics of the hydrogel hybrids was studied by means of a Voigt‐based viscoelastic model. The effects of concentration of the initiator, crosslinker, and the monomer ratio on the swelling rate were studied. The superswelling properties of the hydrogel hybrids were evaluated in various environmental pH, salinity and solvent–water mixtures. The optimally prepared hydrogel, MR5, showed a reproducible on–off switching behavior when the swelling medium was alternatively changed between distilled water and alkaline solutions. The hydrogel hybrid MR5 was also tested to be swollen and deswollen alternatively in distilled water and sodium chloride solution. The sorption–desorption behavior was found to be quite repeatable. A similar capability was interestingly observed when a calcium chloride solution with the same molar concentration was used. The swelling changes of the hydrogel hybrid were examined in various water–solvent systems including the aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol, acetone, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and dimethylsulfoxide. One and/or two volume‐phase transitions were induced by the nonsolvents. The transitions were explained according to the solubility parameters of the solvents and water–solvent mixtures. The swelling–deswelling capability of the hydrogel in alternatively changed solvent–water mixtures was also studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5667–5674, 2006     

Synthesis of an alginate–poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐acrylamide) superabsorbent hydrogel with low salt sensitivity and high pH sensitivity

This article describes the synthesis and swelling behavior of a superabsorbing hydrogel based on sodium alginate (NaAlg) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The physical mixture of NaAlg and PAN was hydrolyzed with a solution of NaOH to yield an alginate–poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐acrylamide) [Alg–poly(NaAA‐co‐AAm)] superabsorbent hydrogel. A proposed mechanism for hydrogel formation was suggested, and the structure of the product was established with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of reaction variables were systematically optimized to achieve a hydrogel with a swelling capacity as high as possible. Under the optimized conditions concluded, the maximum capacity of swelling in distilled water was 610 g/g. The absorbency of the synthesized hydrogels was also measured in various salt solutions. The swelling ratios decreased with an increase in the ionic strength of the salt solutions. In addition, the swelling capacity was determined in solutions with pHs ranging from 1 to 13. The Alg–poly(NaAA‐co‐AAm) hydrogel exhibited pH responsiveness, so a swelling–deswelling pulsatile behavior was recorded at pHs 2 and 8. This on–off switching behavior made the hydrogel as a good candidate for the controlled delivery of bioactive agents. Finally, the swelling kinetics of the hydrogels with various particle sizes were preliminarily investigated as well. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 2927–2937, 2006     

Factors affecting the adsorption of cationic dyes on polymeric hydrogels prepared by gamma irradiation

The adsorption of the cationic dyes Rhodamine B (RB) and Crystal Violet (CV) on polyacrylamide/poly(acrylic acid) (poly(AAm/AAc), 25:25 % weightwise) and polyacrylamide/poly(sodium acrylate) (poly(AAm/AAcNa), 25:25 % weightwise) hydrogels was studied, employing the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results of swelling tests at pH 5.5 indicate that poly(AAm/AAcNa) hydrogel shows maximum percentage swelling (%S) was 4400 %. Moreover, the results show that the adsorption capacity is pH‐ and concentration‐dependent. At pH >5 adsorption of RB and CV increases due to ionization of ? COOH and ? COONa groups of (poly(AAm/AAc) and (poly(AAm/AAcNa) and interactions with the cationic groups of the dyes. However, at pH lower than 5, adsorption is still high, which can be explained by considering the formation of hydrogen bonds between the amino groups of the dyes and the ? COOH groups of the polymeric hydrogels. Moreover, the kinetics of adsorption follows a first‐order equation. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of polymeric hydrogels doped with CV and RB have morphological differences from the pure form. Our data show that Rhodamine B adsorbs more efficiently on both polyacrylamide/poly(acrylic acid) and polyacrylamide/poly(sodium acrylate) hydrogels than CV. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of pH‐ and salt‐responsive hydrogels based on etherificated sodium alginate

Hydrogels composed of etherificated sodium alginate (ESA), sodium acrylic acid (NaAA), and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were synthesized by aqueous solution polymerization. The effects of reaction variables such as terminal pH, ions, and ionic strength on hydrogel swelling ratio (SR) were determined and compared. SR was influenced strongly by pH and ionic strength. SR increased with increasing pH but tended to decrease with PVA content. At a given ionic strength, SR of ESA/NaAA/PVA hydrogel was dependent on the valence of anion; SR was higher in multivalent anion salt solution than in monovalent anion salt solution, i.e., SR_K2SO4 > SR_KCl and SR_Na2SO4 > SR_NaCl. The swelling kinetic of the hydrogels showed Fickian kinetic diffusion in acidic media and non‐Fickian behavior in alkaline media. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Swelling behavior of poly(sodium acrylate)/kaoline superabsorbent composite

Using partly neutralized acrylic acid as monomer, kaoline ultrafine powder as filler and N,N′‐(dimethyl)acrylamide as crosslink agent, poly(sodium acrylate)/kaoline superabsorbent composite was synthesized by aqueous solution polymerization method. Using the superabsorbent composite as collagen, a hydrogel was prepared. The influence of the neutralization degree of superabsorbent collagen, the compositions, the concentration, and the pH value of exterior solution on the swelling behavior of the hydrogel was investigated. It was found that the swelling capability of the hydrogel depended on the groups on the collagen. The swelling capability of the hydrogel relied on the ionic intensity, molecular polarity, molecular volume, as well as the concentration of exterior solution. When the pH value of exterior solution was equal to seven, the hydrogel has a maximum swelling value of 800 times. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:324–328, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Undesirable effects of heating on hydrogels

Heating is the most conventional drying method for removing water from as‐synthesized hydrogels in laboratory and industry. In this article, the effects of the heating temperature (60–200°C) and time (10 min–24 h) on swelling properties of highly absorbent hydrogels based on 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), acrylic acid (AA), potassium acrylate (KA), and acrylamide (AM) were studied. Crosslinkers methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) and poly(ethyleneglycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) were used in the syntheses. Depending on the hydrogel structural composition and its drying temperature and time, the swelling capacities were extremely changed. Generally, AA‐, KA‐, and AM‐based hydrogels showed more hydrolytic‐thermal stability than the corresponding AMPS‐based hydrogels. MBA‐crosslinked hydrogels generally exhibited higher vulnerability against heating. Swelling of PEGDMA‐crosslinked poly(AM‐KA‐AA) hydrogel was greatly increased after heating, whereas its analogousAM‐free sample exhibited huge loss of swelling. PEGDMA‐crosslinked poly(AMPS) samples also exhibited swelling reduction after drying. Rheological studies showed that the storage modulus was highly reduced (～ 5200 Pa) after heating of MBA‐crosslinked poly(AMPS) hydrogels, which reconfirmed the crosslink cleavage. Mechanistic discussions were proposed for the thermal‐induced swelling changes. It was concluded that the chemical nature of both crosslinker and monomer must be taken into consideration to choose the temperature and time of the hydrogel drying. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and evaluation of sucrose‐containing polymeric hydrogels for oral drug delivery

Biodegradable and biocompatible copolymeric hydrogels based on sucrose acrylate, N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone, and acrylic acid were designed and synthesized. Because of the growing importance of sugar‐based hydrogels as drug delivery systems, these new pH‐responsive sucrose‐containing copolymeric hydrogels were investigated for oral drug delivery. The sucrose acrylate monomer was synthesized and characterized. The copolymeric hydrogel was synthesized by free‐radical polymerization. Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was the free‐radical initiator employed and bismethyleneacrylamide (BIS) was the crosslinking agent used for hydrogel preparations. Homopolymeric vinyl pyrrolidone hydrogels were also prepared by the same technique. The hydrogels were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Equilibrium swelling studies were carried out in enzyme‐free simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF and SIF, respectively). These results indicate the pH‐responsive nature of the hydrogels. The gels swelled more in SIF than in SGF. A model drug, propranolol hydrochloride (PPH), was entrapped in these gels and the in vitro release profiles were established separately in both enzyme‐free SGF and enzyme‐free SIF. The drug release was found to be faster in SIF. About 93 and 99% of the entrapped drug was released over a period of 24 h in SGF and SIF, respectively. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2597–2604, 2002     

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐sodium acrylate) hydrogels: Interactions with surfactants

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐sodium acrylate) [poly(NIPAM‐co‐SA)] hydrogels were modified with three different kind of surfactants (cationic, anionic, and nonionic) to study the effect on the swelling properties. The structural variation of the surfactant‐modified hydrogels was investigated in detail. The interaction between the surfactants and the hydrogel varies and strictly depends on the surfactant type. The variation in thermal stability of the modified surfactant hydrogels was investigated and compared with unmodified hydrogel. Further, the hydrogel swelling/diffusion kinetic parameters were investigated and diffusion of water into hydrogel was found to be of the non‐Fickian transport mechanism. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3423–3430, 2007     

Gelatin based pH‐sensitive hydrogels for colon‐specific oral drug delivery: Synthesis,characterization, and in vitro release study

Based on gelatin (Gltn) and acrylic acid (AAc), biodegradable pH‐sensitive hydrogel was prepared using gamma radiation as super clean source for polymerization and crosslinking. Incorporation of PAAc in the prepared hydrogel was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The effect of PAAc content on the morphological structure of the prepared hydrogel swollen at pH 1, 5, and 7 was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed the dependence of the porous structure of the prepared hydrogels on AAc content and the pH of the swelling medium. Swelling properties of gelatin/acrylic acid copolymer hydrogels with different AAc contents were investigated at different pH values. Swelling data showed that the prepared hydrogels possessed pronounced pH sensitivity. In vitro release studies were performed to evaluate the hydrogel potential as drug carrier using ketoprofen as a model drug. Experimental data showed that the release profile depends on both hydrogel composition and pH of the releasing medium. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Hydrophobic association and temperature and pH sensitivity of hydrophobically modified poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide/acrylic acid) gels

Hydrophobically modified poly(acrylic acid/N‐isopropylacrylamide) gels were synthesized by the radical copolymerization of acrylic acid/N‐isopropylacrylamide with a small amount of the hydrophobic comonomer 2‐(N‐ethylperfluorooctanesulfoamido)ethyl acrylate, stearyl acrylate, or lauryl acrylate in tert‐butanol with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker. Swelling kinetics and fluorescence measurements showed that the hydrophobic association ability of fluorocarbon groups was stronger than that of hydrocarbon analogues in modified hydrogels that contained both physical and chemical crosslinking networks. The effects of the fractions and the species of the hydrophobe on the gel swelling and pH and temperature sensitivity were studied. The results indicated that the swelling behavior and pH and temperature sensitivity of the gels were affected by the degree of hydrophobic modification. A hydrogel with a suitable 2‐(N‐ethylperfluorooctanesulfoamido)ethyl acrylate content (0.349 mol %) showed good pH and temperature sensitivity. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 2406–2413, 2003     

Synthesis and Characterization of Temperature-Sensitive Poly(N-isopropylacryamide) Hydrogel with Comonomer and Semi-IPN material

A series of temperature and pH sensitive hydrogels were synthesized using N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) as main monomer, sodium alginate (SA) as semi-IPN material, ethyl acrylate (EA) and acrylic acid (AA) as comonomer, and N-maleyl chitosan (N-MACH) as cross-linker. The temperature and pH sensitive behavior, swelling/deswelling kinetics of the hydrogels were investigated. And the mechanism of the phase transition was summed up. Sodium alginate/Poly(N-isopropylacryamide) semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SA/PNIPAAm semi-IPN) hydrogels exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) at about 32 °C with no significant deviation from the conventional PNIPAAm hydrogels. Poly(N-isopropylacryamide-co-ethyl acrylate) (P(NIPAAm-co-EA)) hydrogels exhibited LCST at 29–31°C, increasing the amount of EA in the hydrogel gradually decreased the LCST. Poly(N-isopropylacryamide-co-acrylic acid) [P(NIPAAm-co-AA)] hydrogels exhibited LCST at 34–39°C, with decreasing NIPAAm/AA from 96/4 to 92/8 and 90/10, the LCST increased from 34°C to 37°C and 39°C. In the swelling/deswelling kinetics, all the dried hydrogels exhibited fast swelling/deswelling behavior, which might be attributed to macroporous structures of the hydrogels.     

Synthesis and superswelling behavior of carboxymethylcellulose–poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐acrylamide) hydrogel

In this paper, attention is paid to synthesis and swelling behavior of a superabsorbent hydrogel based carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The physical mixture of CMC and PAN was hydrolyzed in NaOH solution to yield hydrogel, CMC–poly(NaAA‐co‐AAm). During alkaline hydrolysis, the nitrile groups of PAN were completely converted to a mixture of hydrophilic carboxamide and carboxylate groups followed by in situ crosslinking of the grafted PAN chains. A proposed mechanism for hydrogel formation was suggested and the structure of the product was established using FTIR spectroscopy. The reaction variables affecting the swelling capacity of the hydrogel were systematically optimized to achieve a hydrogel with swelling capacity as high as possible. Swelling measurements of the synthesized hydrogels in various chloride salt solutions indicated a swelling‐loss with increase in the ionic strength of the salt solutions. The pH of the various solutions also affected the swelling of the superabsorbent. Furthermore, the present hydrogels showed a pH‐reversible property. Finally, the swelling kinetics of synthesized hydrogels with various absorbent particle sizes was briefly examined. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Pervaporation separation of 1,1,2‐trichloroethane–water mixture through crosslinked acrylate copolymer composite membranes

The separation of a chlorinated hydrocarbon from a dilute aqueous solution through a crosslinked acrylate copolymer–porous substrate composite membrane by pervaporation was investigated. Poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) and poly(n‐butyl acrylate‐co‐2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) were synthesized and composite membranes were prepared, which were made from the crosslinked polymer and a porous substrate. Pervaporation measurement was carried out for a dilute aqueous solution of 1,1,2‐trichloroethane at 25°C and under a vacuum on the permeate side (below 10 mmHg). The separation factor, overall flux, 1,1,2‐trichloroethane concentration in the membrane, and the degree of swelling decreased with increase in the acrylic acid or 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate content of the acrylate copolymer. The influence of the crosslinking agent content on the pervaporation performance was small, and the separation factor and the overall flux showed a convex curve. The structure of the crosslinking agent had no effect on the separation. The influence of the pore size of the substrate and the thickness of the polymer layer on the separation of 1,1,2‐trichloroethane was observed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 983–994, 1999     

Ionization‐induced ultrarapid response behavior of fibrous and porous electrospun hydrogels containing carboxyl groups

Fibrous porous membranes composed of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) were prepared by electrospinning. The membranes behaved like hydrogels in water after being crosslinked at elevated temperatures. Investigations of the swelling and deswelling behavior indicated that the response rates significantly increased after the carboxyl and/or anhydride groups in the hydrogel membranes were ionized or neutralized with NaOH. It took them less than 60 s to reach equilibrium swelling and about 90 s to reach equilibrium deswelling. The response rates were much higher than those of the parent un‐ionized membranes; this indicated that ionization played an important role in the ultrarapid response behavior. The response rate was also higher than that of most hydrogel materials previously reported and was even comparable to superporous hydrogels with high moisture contents. The mechanism of the ultrarapid response behavior of the ionized membranes was qualitatively analyzed. We believe that the fine fiber diameter, high porosity, and improved wettability with water contributed to the ultrarapid response behavior. This study presents a new and facile method for improving the response rate of hydrogel materials made by electrospinning. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Unique stimuli responsive characteristics of electron beam synthesized bacterial cellulose/acrylic acid composite

The formation and swelling behavior of bacterial cellulose/acrylic acid hydrogel prepared from aqueous mixture consists of 20 : 80 (v/v) acrylic acid (AAc) and 1% bacterial cellulose dispersion under accelerated electron beam was investigated. Gel fraction of hydrogel increased with the increasing dose suggesting a denser composite at 50 kGy compared to 35 kGy. SEM photomicrographs revealed a homogenous pores distribution at higher dose with pore sizes ranging from 1 to 5 μm. Hydrogel synthesized at lower dose of electron beam exhibited higher swelling ability and the degree of swelling increased as the pH of surrounding medium increased and it reached the optimum swelling at pH 7. While swelling of the hydrogel decreased with the increasing ionic strength of solution, swelling at different temperatures ranging from 25 to 50°C revealed a unique character where the hydrogel shrunk at 37°C. Moreover, hydrogel synthesized at higher dose exhibited a higher degree of swelling in methanol with respect to water. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Development of a superporous hydroxyethyl cellulose‐based hydrogel by anionic surfactant micelle templating with fast swelling and superabsorbent properties

The self‐assembling anionic surfactant, sodium n‐dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) micelles were used as pore‐forming templating for fabricating novel superporous hydroxyethyl cellulose‐grafting‐poly(sodium acrylate)/attapulgite (HEC‐g‐PNaA/APT) hydrogels. The network characteristics, morphologies of the hydrogels and removing of SDS micelles from the final product by washing with ethanol/water (v/v, 7 : 3) procedure were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, as well as by determination of swelling ratio, swelling rate, and stimuli response to salts and pHs. The results showed that the added‐SDS concentration significantly affected the morphologies and pore structure of the hydrogel, and 2 mM SDS facilitates to form a homogeneous and well‐defined pore structure in the gel network to extremely improve the swelling ratio and swelling rate. The 2 mM SDS‐added superporous HEC‐based hydrogel not only had highest equilibrium swelling ratio (Q_eq, 1118, 102 g g^?1 in distilled water and 0.9 wt % NaCl solution), rapid swelling rate (k_is, 5.2840 g g s^?1), also showed multistimulus responses to salts and pHs, which may allow its applications in several areas such as adsorption, separation and biomedical materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42027.