| Abstract: | The co‐nonsolvency behaviour in water–dioxane mixtures of linear copolymers and hydrogels consisting of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) was studied as a function of solvent composition and temperature. The composition of the copolymers, P(NIPAM‐co‐DMAMx), in DMAM units, x, varies from x = 0 up to x = 100%. It is shown that the copolymers combine the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour of poly‐NIPAM with the upper critical solution temperature (UCST)‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour of poly‐DMAM. Depending on x, both the LCST‐ and UCST‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour may be simultaneously observed in water‐rich and dioxane‐rich solvent mixtures, respectively. Due to this complex phase separation behaviour, the variation of the reduced viscosity of the linear copolymers, as well as the swelling–deswelling behaviour of the respective hydrogels, are shown to be temperature‐ and solvent‐sensitive. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry |
