Fluconazole release through semi‐interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels based on chitosan,acrylic acid,and citraconic acid

Semi‐interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels with different compositions of chitosan (Cs), acrylic acid, and citraconic acid were synthesized via free‐radical polymerization with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker. The variations of the swelling percentages of the hydrogels with time, temperature, and pH were determined, and Cs–poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogels were found to be most swollen at pH 7.4 and 37°C. Scanning electron micrographs of Cs–PAA and Cs–P(AA‐co‐CA)‐1 (Cs‐poly(acrylicacid‐co‐citraconir acid)^?1) were taken to observe the morphological differences in the hydrogels. Although the less swollen hydrogel, Cs–P(AA‐co‐CA)‐1, had a sponge‐type structure, the most swollen hydrogel, Cs–PAA, displayed a uniform porous appearance. Fluconazole was entrapped in Cs–P(AA‐co‐CA)‐1 and Cs–PAA hydrogels, and the release was investigated at pH 4.0 and 37°C. The kinetic release parameters of the hydrogels (the gel characteristic constant and the swelling exponent) were calculated, and non‐Fickian diffusion was established for Cs–PAA, which released fluconazole much more slowly than the Cs–P(AA‐co‐CA)‐1 hydrogel. A therapeutic range was reached at close to 1 h for both hydrogels. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Dual pH‐ and thermal‐responsive nanocomposite hydrogels for controllable delivery of hydrophobic drug baicalein

Hydrogels have been widely used as mild biomaterials due to their bio‐affinity, high drug loading capability and controllable release profiles. However, hydrogel‐based carriers are greatly limited for the delivery of hydrophobic payloads due to the lack of hydrophobic binding sites. Herein, nano‐liposome micelles were embedded in semi‐interpenetrating poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐chitosan] (PNIPAAm‐co‐CS) and poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐co‐(sodium alginate)] (PNIPAAm‐co‐SA) hydrogels which were responsive to both temperature and pH, thereby establishing tunable nanocomposite hydrogel delivery systems. Nano‐micelles formed via the self‐assembly of phospholipid could serve as the link between hydrophobic drug and hydrophilic hydrogel due to their special amphiphilic structure. The results of transmission and scanning electron microscopies and infrared spectroscopy showed that the porous hydrogels were successfully fabricated and the liposomes encapsulated with baicalein could be well contained in the network. In addition, the experimental results of response release in vitro revealed that the smart hydrogels showed different degree of sensitiveness under different pH and temperature stimuli. The results of the study demonstrate that combining PNIPAAm‐co‐SA and PNIPAAm‐co‐CS hydrogels with liposomes encapsulated with hydrophobic drugs is a feasible method for hydrophobic drug delivery and have potential application prospects in the medical field. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Swelling,pH sensitivity,and mechanical properties of poly(acrylamide‐co‐sodium methacrylate) nanocomposite hydrogels impregnated with carboxyl‐functionalized carbon nanotubes

A series of novel nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared by a cross‐linking copolymerization method. Structural and morphological characterizations of the nanocomposite hydrogels revealed that a good compatibility exists between poly(acrylamide‐co‐sodium methacrylate) [P(AM‐co‐SMA)] and carboxyl‐functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWNTs–COOH). The P(AM‐co‐SMA)/MWNTs–COOH nanocomposite hydrogels with a suitable MWNTs–COOH loading exhibited better swelling capability, higher pH sensitivity, good reversibility, and repeatability, and rapid response to external pH stimuli, compared with the P(AM‐co‐SMA). The compression mechanical tests revealed that the nanocomposite hydrogel displayed excellent compressive strengths and elastic mechanical properties, with higher ultimate compressive stress, and meanwhile still retain a good recoverable strain in the presence of MWNTs–COOH. These excellent properties may primarily be attributed to effectively dispersing of a suitable MWNTs–COOH loading into the matrix of the polymers and formation of additional hydrogen bonds. The nanocomposite hydrogels were expected to find applications in drug controlled release and issue engineering. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis and characterization of a porous poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)‐based hydrogel device for the implantable delivery of insulin

Poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [poly(HEMA‐co‐EGDMA)]‐based hydrogel devices were synthesized by a free‐radical polymerization reaction with 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate as the monomer, different concentrations of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agent, and ammonium persulfate/N,N,N′,N′‐tetra‐methyl ethylenediamine as the free‐radical initiator. The porosity of the poly(HEMA‐co‐EGDMA) hydrogels was controlled with water as the porogen. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum of poly(HEMA‐co‐EGDMA) showed absorption bands associated with ? C?O stretching at 1714 cm^?1, C? O? C stretching vibrations at 1152 cm^?1, and a broad band at 3500–3800 cm^?1 corresponding to ? OH stretching. Atomic force microscopy studies showed that the hydrogel containing 67% water had pores in the range of 3500–9000 nm, whereas the hydrogel containing 7% water did not show measurable pores. The hydrogel synthesized with 1% EGDMA showed 50% thallium‐201 release within the first 30 min and about 80% release within 60 min. In vitro insulin‐release studies suggested that the hydrogel with 27% water showed sustained release up to 120 min, whereas the hydrogels with 47 and 67% water showed that nearly all of the insulin was released within 60 min. Hydrogel devices synthesized with 27% water and filled with insulin particles showed sustained release for up to 8 days, whereas the hydrogels synthesized with 47 and 67% water released insulin completely within 3 days of administration. Animal studies suggested that the hydrogel devices synthesized with 27% water and filled with insulin‐loaded particles (120 IU) were able to control blood glucose levels for up to 5 days after implantation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Multilayer‐coated NPK compound fertilizer hydrogel with controlled nutrient release and water absorbency

A novel trilayered controlled‐release nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer hydrogel was prepared by dipping the NPK fertilizer granules sequentially in 7% w v^?1 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 2% w v^?1 chitosan (CS) solutions and then cross‐linking the CS layer (cross‐CS) via glutaraldehyde vapor deposition. Different NPK fertilizer hydrogels were then synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization of the dried PVA/cross‐CS bilayer‐coated fertilizer granules in various molar ratios of acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) monomers, and polymerization with varying molar ratios of ammonium persulfate, N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (N‐MBA). The water dissolution time of the obtained PVA/cross‐CS/poly (AA‐co‐AM) trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel granules was prolonged, while the water absorbency increased with increasing AA contents, and decreased with increasing N‐MBA contents in the outer poly(AA‐co‐AM) coating. The optimal trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel obtained released 84 ± 18, 63 ± 12, and 36 ± 15% of the N, P, and K nutrients, respectively, after a 30‐day immersion in water. The release phenomena of the N, P, and K nutrients of the fertilizer hydrogel obeyed both the Korsmeyer‐Peppas and Ritger‐Peppas models with a pseudo‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41249.     

Poly(HEMA)/cyclodextrin‐based hydrogels for subconjunctival delivery of cyclosporin A

To enhance the solubility and ocular permeability of immunosuppressive agent, cyclosporine A (CsA), three types of delivery systems were prepared using (2‐hydroxypropyl)‐β‐cyclodextrin (HPβCD), and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Those systems are (i) hydrogels of HPβCD with crosslinking agent ethylene glycol diglycidylether, (ii) poly(HEMA) hydrogels, and (iii) different amounts of HPβCD‐containing poly(HEMA) hydrogels indicated as poly(HEMA‐co‐HPβCD). In the presence of HEMA, hydrogels have desired mechanical integrity with lower equilibrium content than that of hydrogels without HEMA. CsA was loaded into the HPβCD‐based hydrogels by embedding from its aqueous suspensions in higher amounts than that of the poly(HEMA) hydrogels that were loaded by CsA–HPβCD complex solution. Although the poly(HEMA) hydrogels are releasing total CsA in 3 days, long‐term release was realized from HPβCD‐based hydrogels. For subconjunctival administration, regarding to the amounts of loaded CsA, release profiles, and mechanical integrity, the most suitable system is poly(HEMA‐co‐HPβCD) hydrogels in high HPβCD content. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40397.     

Electrically conductive and mechanically tough graphene nanocomposite hydrogels with self‐oscillating performance

Conventional hydrogels are extremely brittle, fragile and poorly conductive, which limits their applications in a variety of aspects. In this study, we fabricated a novel kind of nanocomposite self‐oscillating hydrogel poly(AA‐co‐Fe(phen)₃)/PVA/RGO with high conductivity and good mechanical strength by dispersing reduced graphene oxide (RGO). Due to the synergetic effect of RGO dispersed in the hydrogels or dry gels and Fe metal which is the reduction product of the Fe(phen)₃ moiety by RGO, the hydrogels have a high conductivity of 18.2 S m^?1 with 0.67 wt% RGO content. The dispersed RGO in the hydrogels combined with the network structure by means of hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking and electrostatic interaction and was demonstrated to enhance the mechanical properties of the hydrogels. The elastic modulus achieves 65.2 kPa (1020% of the tensile strength) and 236.4 kPa (with 70% compression), respectively. In addition, the prepared hydrogels exhibit a self‐oscillating behavior in a Belousov–Zhabotinsky solution free of catalyst. These results can be broadly applied in the future in the development of an autonomous on–off switching, flexible/stretchable, graphene‐based soft electronic device. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and properties of silver nanoparticles in chitosan‐based thermosensitive semi‐interpenetrating hydrogels

In this article, thermosensitive poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide‐co‐vinyl pyrrolidone)/chitosan [P(NIPAM‐co‐NVP)/CS] semi‐interpenetrating (semi‐IPN) hydrogels were prepared by redox‐polymerization using N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker and ammonium persulfate/N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine as initiator. Highly stable and uniformly distributed Ag nanoparticles were prepared by using the semihydrogel networks as templates via in situ reduction of silver nitrate in the presence of sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. Introduction of CS improves the hydrogels swelling ratio (SR) and stabilizes the formed Ag nanoparticles in networks. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that Ag nanoparticles were well dispersed with diameters of 10 nm. The semi‐IPN hydrogel/Ag composites had higher SR and thermal stability than its corresponding semi‐IPN hydrogels. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Electrical actuation of ionic hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol grafted with poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid‐co‐acrylonitrile) chains

Novel electrically conducting composite materials consisting of poly(pyrrole) (PPy) nanoparticles dispersed in a poly(vinyl alcohol)‐g‐poly(2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid‐co‐acrylonitrile) hydrogels were prepared within the polymer matrix by in situ polymerization of pyrrole. The conversion yield of pyrrole into PPy particles was determined gravimetrically while structural confirmation of the synthesized polymer was sought by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and UV‐visible spectroscopy. The morphology of PPy nanoparticles containing hydrogel matrix was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Electrical conductivity of nanocomposite hydrogels of different compositions was determined by LCR meter while electroactive behavior of nanocomposite hydrogels swollen in electrolyte solutions was investigated by effective bend angle measurements. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

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     

Synthesis and characterization of cholic acid‐containing biodegradable hydrogels by photoinduced copolymerization

A cholic acid (CA)‐containing biodegradable hydrogel (PLA‐PEG‐PLA‐co‐MACAH) was synthesized from the photoinduced copolymerization of a CA‐modified methacrylate monomer (MACAH), bearing a spacer of hexane‐1,6‐diol spacer between the methacryloyl and the cholanoate moieties, and a macromonomer (PLA‐PEG‐PLA‐DA), bearing two acryloyl end groups derived from a poly(lactic acid)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(lactic acid) triblock copolymer. The structure of MACAH was confirmed by FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, and MS. The hydrogel PLA‐PEG‐PLA‐co‐MACAH was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The experiment results showed that the swelling ratios of the hydrogels decreased with the increase of the CA fraction. The investigation on the in vitro degradation of the hydrogel showed that the CA‐containing hydrogels degraded much slower than the hydrogels without CA component. The bioactivity of the synthesized hydrogels was assessed by the simulated body fluid method. The observed formation of hydroxyapatite on the scaffold of the hydrogels indicated that the hydrogels possess good bioactivity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Properties of PVA-AA cross-linked HEMA-based hydrogels

Poly(HEMA) hydrogel is usually prepared by using 1,1,1-trimethylol propane trimethacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinkers. Another method using PVA-AA (polyvinyl alcohol partially esterified with acryloyl chloride) as the cross linker is reported here. Two hydrogels, co-A1H9 and co-A2H8, were prepared by the polymerization of HEMA in the presence of 10% and 20% PVA-AA, respectively. The presence of PVA-AA reduced the water content from 32% to 25% in the resultant copolymer, whereas T_g did not change significantly. Co-A1H9 had an elastic modulus of 6.3 Mpa, which is much higher than 3.9 MPa and 3.7 MPa for poly(HEMA) and co-A2H8, respectively. The interfacial energies of poly(HEMA), co-A1H9 and co-A2H8 were calculated to be 0.52, 0.65 and 0.71 dyne/cm², respectively, whereas the fractional polarities of these three hydrogels were all about 0.74. Thus a HEMA-based hydrogel with surface properties similar to poly(HEMA) but with stronger mechanical strength was successfully prepared. This copolymeric hydrogel could provide a choice other than the conventionally cross linked poly(HEMA) for various applications.     

Assembly, characterization of Ag nanoparticles in P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS semi-IPN, and swelling of the resulting composite hydrogels

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with controlled size and size distribution were prepared by an in situ chemical reduction route based on a microreactor template composed of poly(acrylamide-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone)/chitosan semi-interpenetrating network hydrogels, P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS semi-IPN, in the presence of sodium hypophosphite. The characterization of structures and morphologies of the as-fabricated P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS–Ag nanocomposite hydrogels was conducted on a Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and UV–vis spectrometer. The effect of various component proportions of the reactants on formation of AgNPs and swelling of the resulting P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS–Ag nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated. The experimental results indicated that the Ag grains were uniformly dispersed within P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS hydrogel networks in a spherical shape, and were stabilized by the semi-IPN structure and a complexation and/or electrostatic interaction between Ag⁺ cations and chemical functional groups, such as –OH, –CONH₂, –NH₂ or –C=O based on the semi-IPN structure reactor templates. The size of the majority of AgNPs ranges from 12 to 25 nm, depending on the three-network templates, the presence of functional groups as well as feed ratios of N-vinylpyrrolidone, acrylamide, and chitosan. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) provides the stability of the resulting nanocomposite hydrogels. The nanocomposite hydrogels demonstrate reduced swelling in comparison with the P(AAm-co-NVP)/CS ones. The kinetics modeling confirms that transport mechanism of the samples follows anomalous diffusion mode, and the kinetic parameters vary with the component ratios, and the maximal theoretical water volume S _∞ is well in agreement with the experimental values.     

Effect of intercalated hydrotalcite on swelling and mechanical behavior for poly(acrylic acid‐co‐N‐isopropylacrylamide)/hydrotalcite nanocomposite hydrogels

A series of nanocomposite hydrogels were prepared from acrylic acid (AA), N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), and intercalated hydrotalcite (IHT) by photopolymerization. The influence of the intercalating content of 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) in HT on the swelling and mechanical properties for poly(AA‐co‐NIPAAm)/IHT nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated. The results showed that the higher the content of the AMPS‐HT was, the higher the swelling ratio of the gels and the higher the content of the intercalating agent was, the lower swelling ratio. It was also demonstrated that the swelling ratio of the gel was not affected by the counterion in HT. The gel strength and crosslinking density were not enhanced by adding AMPS‐HT into the gel composition, but the maximum effective crosslink density and shear modulus of the nanocomposite hydrogels were increased with an increase of the content of the intercalating agent in HT. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1572–1580, 2005     

Preparation and drug‐release behavior of minocycline‐loaded poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol)–methacrylate] films

In this work, biocompatible hydrogel matrices for wound‐dressing materials and controlled drug‐release systems were prepared from poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol)–methacrylate] [p(HEMA‐co‐PEG–MA] films via UV‐initiated photopolymerization. The characterization of the hydrogels was conducted with swelling experiments, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (differential scanning calorimetry), and contact‐angle studies. The water absorbency of the hydrogel films significantly changed with the change of the medium pH from 4.0 to 7.4. The thermal stability of the copolymer was lowered by an increase in the ratio of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to methacrylate (MA) in the film structure. Contact‐angle measurements on the surface of the p(HEMA‐co‐PEG–MA) films demonstrated that the copolymer gave rise to a significant hydrophilic surface in comparison with the homopolymer of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The blood protein adsorption was significantly reduced on the surface of the copolymer hydrogels in comparison with the control homopolymer of HEMA. Model antibiotic (i.e., minocycline) release experiments were performed in physiological buffer saline solutions with a continuous flow release system. The amount of minocycline release was shown to be dependent on the HEMA/PEG–MA ratio. The hydrogels have good antifouling properties and therefore are suitable candidates for wound dressing and other tissue engineering applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Supramolecularly Mediated Robust,Anti‐Fatigue,and Strain‐Sensitive Macromolecular Microsphere Composite Hydrogels

Hydrogels are increasingly investigated and applied in flexible electronic devices, but their practical applications are often restricted by the poor mechanical and limited anti‐fatigue properties. This works reports an approach to robust, anti‐fatigue, and strain‐sensitive hydrogels by introducing macromolecular microsphere and mediating their supramolecular cross‐linking points. A model network composed of sulfonated polystyrene (SPS) microspheres and poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid)/Fe³⁺ (poly(Am‐co‐AA)/Fe³⁺) is investigated. The resulting composite hydrogels have high tensile strength (4.29 MPa) and anti‐fatigue property. More interestingly, such composite hydrogels have strain‐dependent conductivity and can be applied in robust flexible strain sensors for monitoring various human motions. Overall, the hydrogels developed herein not only help to understand the enhancing mechanism of composite hydrogels, but also offer alternative materials for fabricating robust electronic devices.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐g‐POSS nanocomposites by combination of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and click chemistry

New hybrid poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐methyl methacrylate)‐g‐polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane [poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐g‐POSS] nanocomposites were synthesized by the combination of reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and click chemistry using a grafting to protocol. Initially, the random copolymer poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA) was prepared by RAFT polymerization of HEMA and MMA. Alkynyl side groups were introduced onto the polymeric backbones by esterification reaction between 4‐pentynoic acid and the hydroxyl groups on poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA). Azide‐substituted POSS (POSS? N₃) was prepared by the reaction of chloropropyl‐heptaisobutyl‐substituted POSS with NaN₃. The click reaction of poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐alkyne and POSS? N₃ using CuBr/PMDEATA as a catalyst afforded poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐g‐POSS. The structure of the organic/inorganic hybrid material was investigated by Fourier transformed infrared, ¹H‐NMR, and ²⁹Si‐NMR. The elemental mapping analysis of the hybrid using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and EDX also suggest the formation of poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐anchored POSS nanocomposites. The XRD spectrum of the nanocomposites gives evidence that the incorporation of POSS moiety leads to a hybrid physical structure. The morphological feature of the hybrid nanocomposites as captured by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopic analyses indicate that a thick layer of polymer brushes was immobilized on the POSS cubic nanostructures. The gel permeation chromatography analysis of poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA) and poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA)‐g‐POSS further suggests the preparation of nanocomposites by the combination of RAFT and click chemistry. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the thermal property of the poly(HEMA‐co‐MMA) copolymer was significantly improved by the inclusion of POSS in the copolymer matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Preparation and antidehydration of interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels based on 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone

This work reports the preparation of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)/N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NVP) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels by UV‐initiated polymerization in the presence of free radical photoinitiator Darocur 1173 and cationic photoinitiator 4,4′‐dimethyl diphenyl iodonium hexafluorophosphate. The polymerization mechanism was investigated by the formation of gel network. The structure and morphology of the HEMA/NVP IPN hydrogels were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the IPN gels exhibited homogeneous morphology. The dehydration rates of HEMA/NVP IPN hydrogels were examined by the gravimetric method. The results revealed that the hydrogels had a significant improvement of antidehydration ability in comparison with poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)(PHEMA) hydrogel embedded physically with poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone)(PVP). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Novel dually responsive hydrogel with rapid deswelling rate

Hydrogels based on 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methacrylic acid (MAA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) were prepared by free radical polymerization. The prepared hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The states of water in the hydrogels were probed using differential scanning calorimetry and three types of water (free, freezing bound and non‐freezing bound) were detected, the contents of which were calculated. Compared with conventional poly(HEMA‐co‐MAA) hydrogels, the deswelling rate of the poly(HEMA‐co‐PEGMA‐co‐MAA) hydrogels is significantly improved, owing to the introduction of PEGMA. The deswelling process can be well described with a first‐order kinetics equation. Moreover, the swelling ratio of poly(HEMA‐co‐PEGMA‐co‐MAA) hydrogels exhibits a temperature dependence. Based on the analysis of the components of the hydrogels, a brushed core/shell structure is proposed for these, and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy observations. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nanocomposite hydrogels for selective removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions

Removal of organic dyes from waste water has received a significant attention in recent years. In this work, a set of nanocomposite hydrogels (NHs) were prepared and their capacity to absorb crystal violet (CV), a cationic dye, and acid yellow‐23 (AY), an anionic dye, from aqueous solutions was determined. NHs were prepared by in situ formation of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) inside poly(acrylamide‐co‐4‐styrene sulfonic acid sodium salt) (P[AAm‐co‐SSA]) hydrogel matrices. The dye absorption capacity of the magnetic NHs (MNHs) was compared with simple hydrogels (hydrogels or SHs) without the MNPs The prepared hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, XRD, thermogravimetric analysis, high resolution TEM, field emission SEM, and vibrating sample magnetometer measurement. From HRTEM, it was confirmed that the prepared MNPs in hydrogel matrices were in the size range of about 8 to 10 nm. The MNHs showed greater swelling behavior as well as greater removal efficiency of cationic dye from aqueous solutions in comparison to the SHs. With increase of SSA mole percentage, dye removal efficiency was also increased for both types of hydrogels. The present study indicates that the hydrogels containing MNPs can be potentially used as an efficient absorbent material for removal of cationic dyes from waste water. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:776–785, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers