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Stimuli responsive hydrogels prepared by frontal polymerization.

Valeria Alzari¹, Orietta Monticelli, Daniele Nuvoli

¹Materials Engineering Centre, UdR INSTM, NIPLAB, University of Perugia, Loc. Pentima Bassa 21, 05100 Terni, Italy.

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Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Frontal polymerization offers a fast method for creating polymer hydrogels from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL). This technique yields hydrogels with distinct swelling behaviors and improved recovery compared to traditional methods.

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Area of Science:

Polymer Chemistry
Materials Science

Background:

N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) hydrogels are widely studied but can be expensive and toxic.
N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) presents a less toxic and more cost-effective alternative monomer for hydrogel synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate frontal polymerization as an efficient method for preparing NIPAAm/VCL copolymer hydrogels.
To compare the properties, particularly swelling behavior and thermal characteristics, of hydrogels prepared via frontal polymerization versus classical techniques.

Main Methods:

Frontal polymerization was employed for the synthesis of NIPAAm/VCL hydrogels.
Swelling behavior and thermal properties (Differential Scanning Calorimetry - DSC) were characterized.
Hydrogels were prepared using varying monomer ratios.

Main Results:

VCL incorporation significantly influenced hydrogel pore size and shape distribution.
The swelling ratio of the hydrogels was dependent on the monomer (NIPAAm/VCL) ratio.
Frontal polymerization resulted in hydrogels with lower swelling ratios but enhanced swelling recovery capability compared to conventionally polymerized samples.

Conclusions:

Frontal polymerization is a viable and rapid technique for producing NIPAAm/VCL hydrogels with tunable properties.
The method offers distinct advantages in swelling reversibility and recovery, especially under cyclic temperature variations above and below the lower critical solution temperature.