| Abstract: | Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels composed of polyallylamine and chitosan were synthesized by radical polymerization using 2,2‐dimethyl‐2‐ phenylacetophenone (DMPAP) and methylene bisacrylicamide (MBAAm) as initiator and crosslinker, respectively. The IPNs thus obtained were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dielectric analysis (DEA). The melting temperatures of IPNs were observed with increasing chitosan content by DSC. DEA was employed to ascertain the glass transition temperature (Tg) of IPNs. From the result of DEA, IPNs exhibited two Tgs indicating the presence of phase separation in the IPN. The thermal decomposition of IPNs was investigated by TGA and appeared at near 270 °C. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1956–1960, 2002 |
