Tuning of the swelling and dye removal efficacy of poly(acrylamide-AMPS)-based smart hydrogel

Hydrogels responsive to pH change based on poly(acrylamide-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) are synthesized. The hydrogels are characterized in terms of FTIR spectroscopy, swelling–deswelling behavior, morphological analysis and dye removal properties. The swelling of the hydrogel is strongly dependent on the copolymer composition, pH and ionic strength of the medium. The dye removal efficiency (DRE) also depends on the copolymer composition, pH and ionic strength. Pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherms model, respectively, are the best-fit models for the present gel. The cellular structures of the hydrogels are clearly revealed by optical microscopic and SEM images.