Temperature-sensitive poly(vinyl methyl ether) hydrogel beads

Temperature-sensitive hydrogel beads were prepared by radiation crosslinking of poly(vinyl methyl ether) PVME spheres wrapped in Ca-alginate. The obtained gel beads have diameters in the sub-millimeter or millimeter range (depending on the PVME concentration). They were characterized by sol-gel analysis, swelling measurements, and differential scanning calorimetry. The gel content g increases with increasing radiation dose D. The swelling degree Q_v decreases with increasing PVME concentration c_p and increasing D. In comparison to PVME bulkgels the phase-transition temperature of the synthesized PVME gel beads is a little decreased.