Fast responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels prepared in phenol aqueous solutions

Fast responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels with improved properties were prepared in phenol aqueous solutions with different concentrations. Due to the expanded network structure in water, the resulted hydrogels are capable of absorbing a large amount of water, i.e. exhibits a much increased swelling ratio at room temperature. Importantly, the hydrogels demonstrated much faster response rate than that of traditional PNIPAAm hydrogel upon external temperature increase.     

Preparation and characterization of a novel IPN hydrogel memberane of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/carboxymethyl chitosan (PNIPAAM/CMCS)

A novel type of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) hydrogel membrane of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/carboxymethyl chitosan (PNIPAAm)/(CMCS) was prepared, and the effects of the feed ratio of components, swelling medium and irradiation dose on the swelling and deswelling properties of the hydrogel was systematically studied. The results showed that the introduction of CMCS did not shift the LCST (at 32 °C), which is similar to the pure PNIPAAm. The lowest swelling ratio was at pH 2. There was little influence of irradiation dose on the thermo- and pH-sensitivity of the IPN hydrogel, increasing dose only decreased the swelling ratio. The PNIPAAm:CMCS=1:4 w/w hydrogel was not thermo-sensitive in distilled water, whereas it showed a discontinuous volume phase transition in pH 2 and a continuous one in pH 8 buffer. Consequently, a combination of pH and temperature can be coupled to control the responsive behavior of these hydrogels.     

Radiation preparation and thermo-response swelling of interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel composed of PNIPAAm and PMMA

Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogel composed of hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were synthesized by sequential IPN method using γ-rays from ⁶⁰Co source. Compared with pure PNIPAAm hydrogel, PNIPAAm/ PMMA IPN hydrogel not only behaved with obvious temperature sensitivity, but also had higher mechanical strength. The shrinking rate of the prepared IPN hydogel was slower than that of PNIPAAm hydrogel and the relative shrinkage was higher than that of PNIPAAm hydrogel. The IPN hydrogel with less PMMA was not stable while with more PMMA it was quite stable. In addition, the release of Methylene Blue (MB) from the IPN hydrogel was slower than that from PNIPAAm hydrogel as well.     

Ultrafine hydrogel fibers with dual temperature‐ and pH‐responsive swelling behaviors

Ultrafine hydrogel fibers that were responsive to both temperature and pH signals were prepared through the electrospinning of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and poly(acrylic acid) mixtures in dimethylformamide. Both the diameters (700 nm to 1.2 μm) and packing of the fibers could be controlled through changes in the polymer compositions and PNIPAAm molecular weights. These fibers were rendered water‐insoluble by the addition of either Na₂HPO₄ or poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to the solution, followed by the heat curing of the fibers. The fibers crosslinked with Na₂HPO₄ swelled to 30–120 times in water; this was significantly higher than the swelling of those crosslinked with PVA. The PVA‐crosslinked hydrogel fibers, however, exhibited faster swelling kinetics; that is, they reached equilibrium swelling in less than 5 min at 25 °C. They were also more stable after 1 week of water exposure; that is, they lost less mass and retained their fibrous form better. All the hydrogel fibers showed a drastic increase in the swelling between pH 4 and 5. The PVA‐crosslinked hydrogel fibers exhibited distinct temperature‐responsive phase‐transition behavior of PNIPAAm, whereas the Na₂HPO₄‐crosslinked hydrogel fibers showed altered two‐stage phase transitions that reflected side‐chain modification of PNIPAAm. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6331–6339, 2004     

A synthetic hydrogel with thermoreversible gelation,III: an NMR study of the sol–gel transition

The sol–gel transition mechanism of a thermoreversible hydrogel composed of a copolymer comprising poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PNIPAAm–PEG) was studied by NMR. The ¹H– and ¹³C–NMR spectra measured on a PNIPAAm–PEG solution in 99.9% D₂O showed a remarkable line width broadening of the PNIPAAm block of more than that of the PEG block, during thermally induced hydrogel formation. This result suggested that the mobility of the PNIPAAm block is more restricted than that of the PEG block during gelation. A crosslinked polymer network formation was ascertained by a sudden reduction in the spin-lattice relaxation time (T₁) of the residual HDO proton during gelation. The temperature dependency of the T₁ values for the PNIPAAm and PEG blocks revealed that the microscopic condition of the PNIPAAm block in water was drastically changed during gelation, while that of the PEG block was unchanged. The experimental results from NMR supported the following gelation mechanism; that an aggregation of PNIPAAm blocks in the separate copolymers caused by hydrophobic interaction forms crosslinking points to give an infinite three-dimensional network structure. The hydrated PEG chains in the copolymers provide the network with a swelling property in water, and prevent the aggregation from causing a macroscopic phase separation.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrogels Based on Gamma Radiation Copolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide and Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate Monomers

Hydrogels based essentially on N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and different ratios of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) monomer were synthesized by gamma radiation copolymerization. The thermal decomposition behavior of NIPAAm/EGDMA hydrogels was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of temperature and pH on the swelling behavior was also studied. The results showed that the ratio of EGDMA in the comonomer feeding solution has a great effect on the yield product, gel fraction and water content in the final hydrogel. In this regard, it was observed that the increase of EGDMA ratio decreased these properties. The TGA study showed that all the compositions of NIPAAm/EGDMA hydrogels displayed higher thermal stability than the hydrogel based on pure PNIPAAm hydrogel. The swelling kinetics in water showed that pure PNIPAAm and NIPAAm/EGDMA hydrogels reached equilibrium after 6 h. However, NIPAAm/EGDMA hydrogels show swelling in water lower than pure PNIPAAm. The results showed that the swelling character of pure PNIPAAm and NIPAAm/EGDMA hydrogels was affected by the change in temperature within the temperature range 25–40°C, and showed a reversible change in swelling in the pH range 4–7 depending on composition.     

Water affinity and permeability in membranes of alginate-Ca2+ containing poly(n-isopropylacrylamide)

Hydrogels based on semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) combining alginate-Ca²⁺ (matrix) with poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) were prepared and characterized in order to determine their affinity to water and their permeability to orange II as a function of temperature. Membranes of these hydrogels were obtained by gelation of the aqueous solution of alginate and PNIPAAm by the addition of CaCl₂. The presence of PNIPAAm chains inside the hydrogels alters the water affinity when compared to the pure alginate-Ca²⁺ hydrogels. Although the water uptake capability decreases above 32 °C (Low Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) of PNIPAAm in water), no shrinking of the semi-IPN hydrogels during the phase separation of the PNIPAAm was observed. The permeability of orange II as a function of temperature decreases at 32 °C and shows a dependence on the molar mass of the alginate. The partition coefficient of orange II in the hydrogel membrane, relative to water, decreases by increasing the temperature and its permeability follows a similar behavior. It was proposed that above the LCST of PNIPAAm the Alginate-Ca²⁺ networks mechanically support the collapsed PNIPAAm chains and the diffusion of orange II is minimized. The collapsing process may be followed by the formation of a complex between the carboxylic side groups of alginate and –NH–R groups of PNIPAAm. It would expose the isopropyl groups of PNIPAAm chains, providing a hydrophobic environment that minimizes the interaction between the dye and the polymeric matrix.     

Rapid deswelling of sodium alginate/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels in response to temperature and pH changes

In this study, temperature-/pH-responsive semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels based on linear sodium alginate (SA) and cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) were prepared. The semi-IPN hydrogels reached an equilibrium deswelling state within 6 h in response to temperature or pH stimuli. Compared with the conventional PNIPAAm hydrogel, their dewelling rate in response to temperature was improved significantly, owing to the formation of a porous structure within the hydrogels in the presence of ionized SA during the polymerization process. Moreover, the deswelling process could be well described with a first-order kinetics equation and it is possible to design any hydrogel with the desired deswelling behavior through the control of the SA content in the semi-IPN hydrogels.     

Novel Biodegradable and Thermosensitive Dex‐AI/PNIPAAm Hydrogel

The dextran‐allyl isocyanate/poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (Dex‐AI/PNIPAAm) hydrogel was designed and prepared by copolymerization of the modified dextran with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm). This novel Dex‐AI/PNIPAAm hydrogel is biodegradable and intelligent due to its biodegradable dextran linkage and thermosensitive PNIPAAm moiety. With an increase in dextran content, it exhibits the increased lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and decreased porous microstructure. Also, the thermosensitivity of this hydrogel is also controllable and adjustable depending on the different compositions.

SEM micrographs of the Dex‐AI/PNIPAAm hydrogels.     

Dynamics studies on thermoresponsive poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel in tetrahydrofuran/water mixtures

The properties of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel in tetrahydrofuran/H₂O mixtures were studied. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images demonstrate that the hydrogel changes from homogeneous to heterogeneous microstructure upon the addition of tetrahydrofuran to water. This heterogeneous PNIPAAm hydrogel in the mixture solvent exhibits a very slow response rate at temperatures above its lower critical solution temperature. The decreased response rate is attributed to the formation of special ternary complexes including the polymer and the two solvents in the tetrahydrofuran/H₂O mixture. Factors controlling the thermoresponse rate are discussed further and several suggestions are provided for designing and developing fast-response PNIPAAm hydrogels in the future.     

The influence of cold treatment on properties of temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel exhibits a response to external temperature variation and shrinks in volume abruptly as the temperature is increased above its lower critical solution temperature. It has great potential applications in biomedical fields. A rapid response rate is essential, especially when this material is designed as an on-off switch for targeted drug delivery. However, due to the appearance of a thick, dense skin layer on the hydrogel surface during the shrinking process, the deswelling rate of conventional PNIPAAm gels is low. In this article, a novel method is proposed to modify the surface morphology of PNIPAAm gel, in which the swollen gels are frozen at low temperature (-20 degrees C). The scanning electron micrographs revealed that a fishnet-like skin layer appeared on the surfaces of the cold-treated gels. Dramatically rapid deswelling was achieved with the cold-treated gels since the fishnet-like structure with numerous small pores prevented the formation of a dense, thick skin layer during the deswelling process, which commonly occurs in normal PNIPAAm hydrogels. Prolonging the cold treatment from 1 day to 10 days resulted in a slightly higher deswelling rate. Rearrangement of the hydrogel matrix structure during the freezing process might contribute to the formation of the fishnet-like skin layer. The water uptake of the hydrogels increased nearly in proportion to the square root of time, indicating that the reswelling rate of hydrogels was controlled predominantly by water diffusion into the network. However, there were no significant differences in the equilibrated swelling ratio and reswelling kinetics at room temperature (22 degrees C) between normal gels and cold-treated gels, which implied that cold treatment did not change bulk porosity and gel tortuosity much.     

Robust Poly(allylamine)‐graft‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Particles Prepared by Physical Crosslinking with Poly(styrene sulfonate)

Summary: Robust thermosensitive PAH‐g‐PNIPAAm/PSS particles were prepared by addition of a poly(allylamine)‐graft‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) particle suspension into poly(styrene sulfonate) solution above the LCST of PAH‐g‐PNIPAAm. Scanning force microscopy revealed stable and well‐separated particles in water at room temperature. The zeta‐potential showed a negative surface charge of the particles. Their thermosensitive behavior was demonstrated by dynamic light scattering. The release of rhodamine 6G loaded particles could respond to the incubation temperature.

Fabrication of thermosensitive and robust particle by suspension of in situ formed PAH‐g‐PNIPAAm particle above the LCST in PSS solution.     

Polymerization of Acrylamide in Aqueous Solution of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) at Lower Critical Solution Temperature

Acrylamide (AAm) was found to polymerize in a solution of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) in water at around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) (32°C) without any initiators. This phenomenon was specifically observed in aqueous solutions of the polymers having LCST such as PNIPAAm and poly(methylvinylether) (PMVE). AAm polymerized only when PNIPAAm and AAm were dissolved in water below LCST of PNIPAAm and then the solution was warmed up to the polymerization temperature (40°C). On the other hand, the polymerization of AAm did not proceed when AAm was added into aqueous PNIPAAm solution during and after the phase separation above 32°C. Furthermore the polymerizability of AAm was remarkably affected by the concentration and molecular weight of the PNIPAAm additives. Under the condition of lower PNIPAAm concentration (0.30 mol/L), the increase in the molecular weight of PNIPAAm considerably increased the molecular weight of the resulting PAAm but decreased the yield of PAAm. Under the condition of higher PNIPAAm concentration (0.60 mol/L) the polymerizability was not so affected by the molecular weight of PNIPAAm, while the molecular weight of PAAm formed by using higher molecular weight PNIPAAm was higher than those of PAAm formed by using lower molecular weight PNIPAAm. Moreover, the molecular weight of PAAm formed by the PNIPAAm induced polymerization of AAm was much higher than that of the polymer obtained by the radical polymerization using AIBN in THF or VA‐ 061 in water.     

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Nanoparticle‐Incorporated PNIPAAm Hydrogels with Fast Shrinking Kinetics

Summary: Novel temperature‐responsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) nanoparticle‐containing PNIPAAm hydrogels were prepared by radical polymerization. In comparison with conventional PNIPAAm hydrogels, the PNIPAAm gels thus prepared exhibit much faster response rates as the temperature is raised above the lower critical solution temperature. The improved properties are a result of the incorporation of PNIPAAm particles, which first shrink and then generate pores for water molecules to be quickly squeezed out of the bulky PNIPAAm gels.

Schematic illustration of the shrinking process: (I) First PNIPAAm particles shrink and generate pores; (II) the bulky gels then shrink further at a rapid rate.     

The Research on Intelligent Controlled DDS of Polymer Carrier

The intelligent controlled drug delivery systems (DDS) are a series of the preparations including microcapsules or nanocapsules composed of intelligent polymers and medication. The properties of preparations can change with the external stimuli, such as pH value, temperature,chemical substance, light, electricity and magnetism etc. According to this properties, the DDS can be intelligently controlled. This paper has reviemed research on syntheses and applications of intelligent controlled DDS of polymer carriers.Drug delivery system with pH stimuliThe volume of polymer hydrogel can change with the pH value of external environment. The sensitive polymer hydrogels to pH are often as carriers. The polymer hydrogel carrying medicine is especially suitable for taking orally. In order to protect medicine from losing activation, we enwrapped medicine into polymer hydrogel with acidic group. In the acidic environment of stomach,the volume of polymer hydrogel contracts because of the hydrogen bond. The medicine in the polymer hydrogel cannot disperse out. When it goes to the intestine of basic environment, the hydrogen bond will be broken, and the medicine can release.Drug delivery system with temperatureTemperature sensitive polymer hydrogel can change its volume with changing of environmental temperature. This kind of polymer hydrogel can be also used as a carrier of medicine. At a low temperature, the polymer chains form hydrogen bond with water to swell to let medicine disperse out from the hydrogel. On the other hand, the hydrogen bond will be broken and polymer chain will lose water to contract with temperature's increasing. And the medicine will not disperse out. For example,the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAAm) is the hydrogel that is swelled at lower temperature and contracted at higher temperature. PNIPAAm has the lower critical solution temperature(LCST).We can adjust its LCST to control PNIPAAm hydrogel's swelling or contraction to let medicine release or not.Drug delivery system with other stimuliThe polymer carrier drug delivery system can be intelligently controlled with the stimuli of pH value and temperature. In addition, there are still some other stimuli for DDS. For example, DDS with light; DDS with electricity(or electric field); DDS with magnetism(magnetic field); DDS with chemical substance; etc. The characteristic of intelligent polymer carrier is based on P.J.Flory's gel-swelling theory. Intelligent polymer carrier DDS will be widely used in biological and medical fields.     

Porous alginate-Ca hydrogels interpenetrated with PNIPAAm networks: Interrelationship between compressive stress and pore morphology

Thermo-sensitive porous hydrogels composed of interpenetrated networks (IPN) of alginate-Ca²⁺ and PNIPAAm have been obtained. The hydrogels were prepared by cross-linking alginate-Na⁺ with Ca²⁺ ions inside PNIPAAm networks. Compressive tests and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate gel strength and pore morphology, respectively. IPN hydrogels displayed two distinct pore morphologies under thermal stimuli. Below 30-35 °C, the LCST of PNIPAAm in water, IPN hydrogels were highly porous. The pore size of hydrogel heated above LCST became progressively smaller. Alginate-Ca²⁺ and PNIPAAm hydrogels, used as references, did not present such behaviour, indicating that the porous effect is due to IPN hydrogel. It was verified that higher strength is achieved when the hydrogel presents small pore size and the temperature is increased. It is suggested that at temperatures above LCST, the PNIPAAm chains shrink and pull the alginate-Ca²⁺ networks back. During shrinking, the polymer chains occupy the open spaces (pores from which water is expelled), and therefore, the hydrogel becomes less deformable when subjected to compressive stress. The results presented in this work indicate that the mechanical properties as well as the pore morphologies of these IPN hydrogels can be tailored by thermal stimulus.     

Cross‐Linking Density and Temperature Effects on the Self‐Assembly of SiO2—PNIPAAm Core–Shell Particles at Interfaces

SiO₂–PNIPAAm core–shell microgels (PNIPAAm=poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)) with various internal cross‐linking densities and different degrees of polymerization were prepared in order to investigate the effects of stability, packing, and temperature responsiveness at polar–apolar interfaces. The effects were investigated using interfacial tensiometry, and the particles were visualized by cryo‐scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning force microscopy (SFM). The core–shell particles display different interfacial behaviors depending on the polymer shell thickness and degree of internal cross‐linking. A thicker polymer shell and reduced internal cross‐linking density are more favorable for the stabilization and packing of the particles at oil–water (o/w) interfaces. This was shown qualitatively by SFM of deposited, stabilized emulsion droplets and quantitatively by SFM of particles adsorbed onto a hydrophobic planar silicon dioxide surface, which acted as a model interface system. The temperature responsiveness, which also influences particle–interface interactions, was investigated by dynamic temperature protocols with varied heating rates. These measurements not only showed that the particles had an unusual but very regular and reversible interface stabilization behavior, but also made it possible to assess the nonlinear response of PNIPAAm microgels to external thermal stimuli.     

聚丙烯酰胺/聚异丙基丙烯酰胺互穿网络水凝胶的制备与性能

采用分步法用电子加速器辐射合成了聚丙烯酰胺(PAAm)/聚异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAAm)互穿网络水凝胶,并考察了温度、pH值、离子强度对其溶胀性能的影响.研究表明:互穿水凝胶具有温度敏感性,且其体积相变与互穿网络中PAAm和PNIPAAm含量有关,随着网络中PAAm含量的增加水凝胶的体积相变趋于平缓,可以通过改变PAAm和PNIPAAm的组成比来控制水凝胶的体积相变行为.此外,互穿水凝胶还具有pH敏感性和一定的抗盐性.     

Preparation and Characterization of Temperature-responsive Porous Monoliths

A new temperature‐responsive porous monolith has been prepared by surface‐initiated activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) grafting poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) within the pores of the porous polymer monolith. The grafting copolymerization was carried out by a method based on a continuous flow‐through technique without special deoxygenation procedure needed in the general ATRP. The addition of ascorbic acid could counteract the oxidation effect of oxygen diffusing into the reaction system. The resulting grafted monolith was characterized by a mercury intrusion method and the size of macropore was 3.65 µm, which was suitable for flow through the monolith for HPLC. The thermally responsive property of the grafted monolith was evaluated by HPLC using steroids with various hydrophobicities as probes. Through determination of retention factor of each steroid on the grafted monolith at different temperatures using water as mobile phase, it was found that the slope of the plot of retention factor of each steroid versus the temperature changed around the low critical solution temperature (LCST, 32°C) of PNIPAAm in water. It was relative to the grafted PNIPAAm temperature sensitivity that a hydrophobic and hydrophilic alternation would take place around its LCST. Based on this thermally responsive property, the grafted monolith was used as stationary phase for HPLC and to separate the steroids using water as mobile phase by changing the column temperature. As a mobile phase, water is much better than organic solvents concerning the environment.     

Radiation-induced grafting of N-isopropylacrylamide onto the brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) membranes

A novel thermo-sensitive switching membrane has been prepared by radiation-induced simultaneous grafting N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) onto brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) BPPO. In order to attain a high grafting degree, the effects of dose, dose rate, concentration of NIPAAm, concentration of inhibitor Cu²⁺, membrane thickness and solvents were investigated. The grafting process was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and the highest grafting degree obtained was 7.87%. The thermo-sensitive property of the grafted membrane was measured by water flux (20–48 °C). The results showed that the grafted membrane could respond instantly to environmental temperature changes, and there was a sharp change around the lower critical solution temperature as it is normally seen in PNIPAAm hydrogel.