Temperature and pH-responsive hydrogels were prepared with the combination of various hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers. N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylamide (AAm) were chosen as the hydrophilic monomer and n-butoxymethylacrylamide (nBMA) ...
Temperature and pH-responsive hydrogels were prepared with the combination of various hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers. N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylamide (AAm) were chosen as the hydrophilic monomer and n-butoxymethylacrylamide (nBMA) was chosen as the hydrophobic monomer. Poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEG) was chosen as the macromonomer for the hydrophilic graft. Acrylic acid (AAc) was chosen as the monomer for preparation of the pH stimuli-responsive hydrogel. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was chosen as the herbicide loaded into hydrogel. Hydrogels were prepared by photopolymerization. Volume transition, swelling behavior and release property were studied for these hydrogels. Volume transition and swelling behaviors were fast and thermally reversible. Poly(NIPAAm) hydrogel showed the sensitivity to the thermal stimuli at around 30℃ with a large volume change. The transition temperature was controlled by incorporating other monomers. nBMA was incorporated in a proper composition for the preparation of thermal stimuli-sensitive hydrogels which had a sharp volume transition temperature around 15℃. The hydrogels which have AAc as one of their components showed very different behavior depending on the pH. Volume transition temperature, degree of swelling, and release rate were varied significantly depending on the content of comonomer, graft, and crosslinker.