Friedel–crafts reactions of pendant vinyl groups in macroporous monosized poly(meta‐divinylbenzene) and poly(para‐divinylbenzene) particles

Residual vinyl groups in macroporous monosized polymer particles of poly(meta‐DVB) and poly(para‐DVB) prepared with toluene and 2‐EHA as porogens have been reacted with aluminum chloride as Friedel–Crafts catalyst with and without the presence of lauroyl chloride. In the reaction between aluminum chloride and pendant vinyl groups a post‐crosslinking by cationic polymerization takes place. A reaction occurring simultaneously is the addition of HCl to the double bonds. The progress of these reactions was studied by characterization of vinyl group conversion, pore size distribution, specific surface area, morphology, and swelling behavior. In the reaction with aluminum chloride the poly(para‐DVB) particles showed a substantially higher conversion of pendant vinyl groups than the particles made of poly(meta‐DVB) independent of porogen type. The reaction with aluminum chloride led to a reduced swelling in organic solvents and an increased rigidity of the particles prepared with toluene as porogen. This is confirmed by an increase in the total pore volume in the dry state and a change in the pore size distribution of these particles. Also in the reaction with lauroyl chloride poly(para‐DVB) particles have shown a higher conversion of pendant vinyl groups than poly(meta‐DVB) particles and the acylation was almost complete at the early stage of the reaction. The swelling in organic solvents is reduced as a result of the incorporation of acyl groups into the particles prepared with toluene as porogen. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1366–1378, 2000     

A hyper-cross-linked polystyrene with nano-pore structure

Chloromethylated polystyrene (CMPS) beads were prepared by suspension polymerization of vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC), divinylbenzene (DVB) and styrene (St) in the presence of porogen. The same feed volume ratio of DVB leads to similar cross-linking degree for all CMPS, but decreasing VBC content provided a progressively reduced content of chloromethyl groups in each CMPS. Hyper-cross-linked polystyrene (HCLPS) beads were obtained by post cross-linking reaction of CMPS in dichloroethane (DCE) containing Friedel-Crafts catalyst. The role of porogen and its influence on nano-pore structure of HCLPS were investigated. The results showed that different types of porogen had significant effect on the nano-pore structure of the final products, such as specific surface area, average pore size and total pore volume. Using the mixture of toluene and cyclohexanol as inner porogen can yield the highest specific surface area for HCLPS beads. Moreover, higher amount of VBC lead to greater specific surface area and total pore volume. It was therefore indicated that nano-pore structure of HCLPS can be controllably prepared via changing porogen type and VBC concentration. Finally, the unprecedented swelling capacity was found for the hyper-cross-linked species derived from different porogen types.     

Unusual mobility of hypercrosslinked polystyrene networks: Swelling and dilatometric studies

Hypercrosslinked polystyrene samples were prepared by an intensive postcrosslinking of highly swollen styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer beads to extremely high degrees of crosslinking that amounted to 100% or even higher. When in the dry state, the materials obtained represent transparent beads of reduced density. Despite the high degree of crosslinking, the materials manifest large increases in volume on swelling with any liquid media as well as large changes in volume on heating. The factors determining the unusual swelling ability of the hypercrosslinked polymers are briefly discussed. Thermodilatometric tests of the polymers with a moderate degree of crosslinking reveal a certain contraction of the beads at temperatures higher than 100 °C. When crosslinked far beyond 100%, the networks demonstrate unusual expansion in the 100–220 °C range; this is followed by a sharp shrinking at higher temperatures. The former is caused by an increased intensity of the vibration movements of the network and a partial relaxation of strong inner stresses; the latter is due to partial chemical oxidation, degradation of network units, or both. This degradation, however, is not accompanied by any loss in weight of the polymer but only results in a transformation into a more dense conventional nonporous material. The strained, rigid open‐work structure of the homogeneous expanded hypercrosslinked polystyrene networks is responsible for their unusual mobility. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1553–1563, 2000     

Preparation and functionalization of reactive monodisperse macroporous poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads by a staged templated suspension polymerization

Reactive monodisperse porous poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads have been prepared by a staged templated suspension polymerization method with different concentrations of linear polystyrene porogen and chloromethylstyrene in the polymerization mixture. The presence of a small amount of linear polystyrene in the polymerization mixture leads to a dramatic increase in both the pore size and the pore volume of the resulting beads. In contrast, addition of chloromethylstyrene leads to lower surface areas and smoother surfaces due to the reduced compatibility between the polystyrene porogen and the newly formed crosslinked chains. The modification of chloromethylstyrene beads by Gabriel synthesis to obtain aminated beads has also been studied. The final number of primary amino groups is related to the starting concentration of functional benzyl chloride moieties rather than to the porous properties. Both π-basic and π-acidic type chiral selectors, (R)-1-(1-naphthyl)-ethylamine and (R)-N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl)phenylglycine, respectively, have been attached to the amino functionalized beads, and the resulting chiral beads have been used in the model HPLC separations of enantiomers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 2631–2643 1997     

Hierarchical Porous Polymer Beads Prepared by Polymerization-induced Phase Separation and Emulsion-template in a Microfluidic Device

Porous polymer beads（PPBs） containing hierarchical bimodal pore structure with gigapores and meso-macropores were prepared by polymerization-induced phase separation（PIPS） and emulsion-template technique in a glass capillary microfluidic device（GCMD）. Fabrication procedure involved the preparation of water-in-oil emulsion by emulsifying aqueous solution into the monomer solution that contains porogen. The emulsion was added into the GCMD to fabricate the（water-in-oil）-in-water double emulsion droplets. The flow rate of the carrier continuous phase strongly influenced the formation mechanism and size of droplets. Formation mechanism transformed from dripping to jetting and size of droplets decreased from 550 μm to 250 μm with the increase in flow rate of the carrier continuous phase. The prepared droplets were initiated for polymerization by on-line UV-irradiation to form PPBs. The meso-macropores in these beads were generated by PIPS because of the presence of porogen and gigapores obtained from the emulsion-template. The pore morphology and pore size distribution of the PPBs were investigated extensively by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry（MIP）. New pore morphology was formed at the edge of the beads different from traditional theory because of different osmolarities between the water phase of the emulsion and the carrier continuous phase. The morphology and proportion of bimodal pore structure can be tuned by changing the kind and amount of porogen.     

Electric‐field‐controlled synthesis of HPMA hydrogels containing self‐organized arrays of micro‐channels

We report the synthesis of poly N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide ordered arrays of fluid filled channels. The polymerization and crosslinking reactions are carried out under the influence of a constant electric field (60 V/cm). A charged comonomer, immobiline (pK 3.6), and porogen, polyethylene glycol (PEG) are added to the pregel solutions. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the channels have a typical diameter of 2–25 μm and are oriented parallel to the electric field employed during synthesis. The self‐organization of channels occurs around an optimal PEG concentration of 8.6 wt/vol %, whereas significantly higher or lower concentrations yield random, isotropic pore structures. Moreover, tensile strength measurements show that the mechanical stability increases with decreasing concentration of PEG. Rheology experiments reveal that the swelling degree of these superabsorbant hydrogels increases with increasing PEG. Possible applications of these microstructured hydrogels as bidirectional scaffolds for regenerating neurons in the injured spinal cord are discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2593–2600, 2007     

Monodisperse polymer beads as packing material for high-performance liquid chromotography: Effect of divinylbenzene content on the porous and chromatographic properties of poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads prepared in presence of linear polystyrene as a porogen

The effect of concentration of divinylbenzene on pore size distribution and surface areas of micropores, mesopores, and macropores in uniformly sized porous poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads prepared in the presence of linear polystyrene as a component of the porogenic mixture has been studied. While the total specific surface area was clearly determined by the content of divinylbenzene, the sum of pore volumes for mesopores and macropores as well as their size distribution does not change within a broad range of DVB concentrations. Consequently, the size exclusion chromatography calibration curves are almost identical for all the beads prepared with different percentages of crosslinking monomer. However, the more crosslinked beads have better mechanical and hydrodynamic properties. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fine control of the porous structure and chromatographic properties of monodisperse macroporous poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads prepared using polymer porogens

The porous structure of monodisperse macroporous beads can be controlled by using soluble polymers with well-defined structural characteristics as part of the porogenic mixture. In general, the use of linear polystyrene as a porogen in the preparation of poly (styrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads shifts the pore size distribution towards larger pores. While a direct correlation between pore size and molecular weight of the porogen has been established, the chemical composition of the polymer porogen has no effect on the porous and chromatographic properties of the beads. These findings suggest that the average molar volume of the porogenic system is important while the miscibility of the polymer porogen with the crosslinked polymer that is formed is of little relevance. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Control of various morphological changes of poly(meth)acrylate microspheres and their swelling degrees by SPG emulsification

Crosslinked poly(meth)acrylate polymers with a variety of morphologies were synthesized with two steps. In the first step, a microporous glass membrane (Shirasu Porous Glass, SPG) was employed to prepare uniform emulsion droplets by applying an adequate pressure to the monomer phase, which was composed of the ADVN initiator, solvent of toluene or heptane or their mixture, and a mixture of (meth)acrylate monomers. The droplets were formed continuously through the membrane and suspended in the aqueous solution, which contained a PVA‐127 suspending agent, SLS emulsifier, and NaNO₂ inhibitor to suppress the nucleation of secondary particles. SPG pore sizes of 0.90, 5.25, and 9.25 μm were used. Then the emulsion droplets were polymerized at 343 K with a rotation rate 160 rpm for 24 h. The (meth)acrylate monomers 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (2‐EHA), 2‐ethylhexyl methacrylate (2‐EHMA), cyclohexyl acrylate (CHA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), lauryl acrylate (LA), and lauryl methacrylate (LMA) were used in this research. The influences of the ratios of the monomer and crosslinking agent EGDMA, the amount of diluents, the monomer type on the polymer particle morphology, the swelling degree, and the polymer particle size were investigated. It was found that an increase in the concentrations of EGDMA and heptane resulted in higher coarse porous spheres and smaller polymer particle sizes. A coefficient with a variation close to 10%, or a standard deviation of about 4, was obtained. The capacity of these spheres as solvent absorption materials was examined. The highest swelling degrees of heptane and toluene were obtained when LA was employed as the monomer with 30% (by weight) of EGDMA and 70% (by weight) of heptane as an inert solvent. The highest capacity of the solvent absorption was obtained when using a polymer particle size of 4.81 μm, as prepared by SPG pore size 0.9 μm. The polymer particles were able to absorb aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, and a mix of aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, such as toluene and heptane. The capacity of solvent absorption for the aromatic hydrocarbon solvents was higher than for the aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents. In addition, the particles did not rupture or collapse after absorption in solvents. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4038–4056, 2000     

Cagelike polymer microspheres with hollow core/porous shell structures

Submicron‐scaled cagelike polymer microspheres with hollow core/porous shell were synthesized by self‐assembling of sulfonated polystyrene (PS) latex particles at monomer droplets interface. The swelling of the PS latex particles by the oil phase provided a driving force to develop the hollow core. The latex particles also served as porogen that would disengage automatically during polymerization. Influential factors that control the morphology of the microspheres, including the reserving time of emulsions, polymerization rate, and the Hildebrand solubility parameter and polarity of the oil phase, were studied. A variety of monomers were polymerized into microspheres with hollow core/porous shell structure and microspheres with different diameters and pore sizes were obtained. The polymer microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 933–941, 2007     

Preparation and characterization of crosslinked alginate–CMC beads for controlled release of nitrate salt

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel beads were successfully prepared by Ca²⁺ ions crosslinking followed by gamma irradiation. The factors affecting beads formation are the composition of SA in the blend and concentration of calcium chloride as a crosslinking agent. The results indicated that the addition of CMC to SA increases the swelling (%) upto (1:3) (CMC:SA) ratio. The effect of different irradiation doses (2.5, 5, and 10 kGy) on swelling (%) was studied. At low doses, swelling (%) decreases upto 5 kGy then starts to increase at 10 kGy. The degree of the swelling (%) and release (%) of ammonium nitrate salt from beads were investigated under different pH (1.2, 5 and 7). The beads were characterized by FTIR, SEM and TGA to investigate molecular structure, morphology and thermal stability of beads.     

Effects of the reaction parameters on the properties of thermosensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) microspheres prepared by precipitation and dispersion polymerization

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)‐based microspheres were prepared by precipitation and dispersion polymerization. The effects of several reaction parameters, such as the type and concentration of the crosslinker (N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide or ethylene dimethacrylate), medium polarity, concentration of the monomer and initiator, and polymerization temperature, on the properties were examined. The hydrogel microspheres were characterized in terms of their chemical structure, size and size distribution, and morphological and temperature‐induced swelling properties. A decrease in the particle size was observed with increasing polarity of the reaction medium or increasing concentration of poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) as a stabilizer in the dispersion polymerization. The higher the content was of the crosslinking agent, the lower the swelling ratio was. Too much crosslinker gave unstable dispersions. Although the solvency of the precipitation polymerization mixture controlled the PNIPAAm microsphere size in the range of 0.2–1 μm, a micrometer range was obtained in the Shellvis 50 and Kraton G 1650 stabilized dispersion polymerizations of N‐isopropylacrylamide in toluene/heptane. Typically, the particles had fairly narrow size distributions. Copolymerization with the functional glycidyl methacrylate monomer afforded microspheres with reactive oxirane groups. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 968–982, 2006     

Understanding and preventing the formation of deformed polymer particles during synthesis by a seeded polymerization method

Uniformly sized porous polymer particles with different polarity namely poly(divinylbenzene), poly(vinyl acetate‐co‐divinylbenzene), poly(ethylene dimethacrylate), and poly (glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate) were prepared in the micron‐size range by a seeded polymerization method. Parameters affecting the particle morphologies including monomer mixture content, porogen content, and polystyrene (PS) seed latexes were varied, and the morphologies of the resulting particles were investigated by scanning electron and confocal microscopy. The results obtained indicated that the particle shape depended dominantly on the molecular weight of the PS seed template. Deformed particles, including collapsed spheres and spheres with holes were obtained when high molecular weight PS seeds were used, whereas well‐defined polymer particles were produced easily by using low molecular weight seeds. The use of 1,1‐diphenylethylene as a chain terminator during seed polymerization is proposed in this work as an efficient method to lower molecular weight of PS in seed particles while keeping seed size small. This low molecular weight seed template retained its spherical geometry after swelling and polymerization with different second stage monomers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Monodisperse polymer beads as packing material for high-performance liquid chromatography. Preparation of macroporous poly(2,3-epoxypropyl vinylbenzyl ether-co-divinylbenzene) beads,their properties,and application to HPLC separations

In search for HPLC separation media with new surface chemistries, a styrene-based monomer, 2,3-epoxypropyl vinylbenzyl ether, containing reactive epoxide groups has been syn-thesized and copolymerized with divinylbenzene in a suspension polymerization. The process involves the use of size monodisperse particles that are swollen with monomer and then polymerized in the presence of a porogenic diluent consisting of a mixture of 4-methyl-2-pentanol and octane. The effect of concentration of divinylbenzene on the pore size dis-tribution and the specific surface area of the resulting uniformly sized porous poly(2,3-epoxypropyl vinylbenzyl ether-co-divinylbenzene) beads has been studied. The epoxide groups of the copolymer have been hydrolyzed and the beads used for reversed-phase chro-matography of both small molecules and proteins to show the effect of hydrophobicity of the matrix on the separation properties. Reversed-phase chromatography of alkylbenzenes follows the expected pattern while for proteins the hydrolyzed beads with the highest content of the crosslinking monomer exhibit a remarkable deviation from the predicted retention characteristics. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Formation of porous polymer morphology by microsyneresis during divinylbenzene polymerization

This article describes the investigation of the importance of various reaction conditions on microsyneretic pore formation during polymerization of divinylbenzene (DVB) under so‐called “solvothermal” conditions. To induce microsyneretic pore formation, the most important parameter is an unusually high dilution of monomers with a “good” porogen solvating the polymer chains. High dilution and solvation of the growing poly(DVB) chains promote the prolongation of the polymer chains rather than their interconnection by crosslinking. Consequently, when the polymer gel density reaches the point where syneresis starts, the polymer network is geometrically too extensive to be broken up into precipitating entities and, instead, porogen droplets are formed within the continuous polymer gel. The pore geometry created by microsyneresis offers high surface area in wide mesopores and hence, high capacity for supporting functional groups or reactions with much better accessibility than narrow pores between polymer microspheres produced by macrosyneresis in conventional styrenic polymer supports. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 774–781     

Preparations and properties of uniform size macroporous polymer beads prepared by two-step swelling and polymerization method utilizing divinyl succinate or divinyl adipate as a crosslinking agent

Uniform size macroporous polymer beads were prepared through a typical two-step swelling and polymerization method utilizing divinyl succinate or divinyl adipate as well as ethylene dimethacrylate as crosslinking agents. Stable macroporous polymer beads with good size monodispersity and a slightly nonspherical shape were obtained by homopolymerization of divinyl succinate in cyclohexanol as porogen. BET measurements indicated that the beads prepared by homopolymerization of divinyl succinate and copolymerization of divinyl succinate with vinyl p-tert-butylbenzoate, as well as homopolymerization of ethylene dimethacrylate had relatively large specific surface area. In contrast, copolymerization of divinyl succinate with methyl methacrylate afforded beads having a very small specific surface area. Similarly, all the beads prepared using divinyl adipate had very small specific surface area, while size exclusion chromatography in tetrahydrofuran suggested that these beads acquired a porous structure as a result of swelling. When used as packing materials for high-performance liquid chromatography, the beads prepared with divinyl adipate showed unexpected molecular recognition toward flat solutes in reversed phase liquid chromatography in contrast to those prepared with ethylene dimethacrylate. Copolymerizations with methyl methacrylate led to a decrease in molecular recognition, while those with vinyl p-tert-butylbenzoate enhanced the selectivity. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Poly(N,N‐diethylacrylamide) microspheres by dispersion polymerization

Poly(N,N‐diethylacrylamide)‐based microspheres were prepared by ammonium persulfate (APS)‐initiated and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)‐stabilized dispersion polymerization. The effects of various polymerization parameters, including concentration of N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm) crosslinker, monomer, initiator, stabilizer and polymerization temperature on their properties were elucidated. The hydrogel microspheres were described in terms of their size and size distribution and morphological and temperature‐induced swelling properties. While scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the morphology of the microspheres, the temperature sensitivity of the microspheres was demonstrated by dynamic light scattering. The hydrodynamic particle diameter decreased sharply as the temperature reached a critical temperature ～ 30 °C. A decrease in the particle size was observed with increasing concentration of both the APS initiator and the PVP stabilizer. The microspheres crosslinked with 2–15 wt % of MBAAm had a fairly narrow size distribution. It was found that the higher the content of the crosslinking agent, the lower the swelling ratio. High concentration of the crosslinker gave unstable dispersions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6263–6271, 2008     

Ion‐exchange resins. III. Functionalization–morphology correlations in the synthesis of some macroporous,strong basic anion exchangers and uranium‐sorption properties evaluation

The synthesis and characterization of a series of macroporous, strong basic anion exchangers (SBAEs), with an average pore radius higher than 50 nm, and the evaluation of their sorption properties for uranyl chlorocomplexes from HCl solutions are reported. Finely divided macroporous styrene–divinylbenzene (S–DVB) copolymers with a narrow distribution of beads sizes, diameters within the range of 90–200 μm, were prepared for this purpose with 2‐ethyl‐1‐hexanol as a porogen, at a high dilution of monomers (D ≥ 0.55 mL/mL). Chloromethyl groups were introduced with (CH₂O)_n/Me₃SiCl as a chloromethylation agent in the presence of a Lewis acid as a catalyst (TiCl₄, SnCl₄, and FeCl₃) in CHCl₃ as a reaction medium. SnCl₄ and FeCl₃ gave comparable chloromethylation degrees in the same reaction conditions. TiCl₄ was not efficient as a catalyst in the chloromethylation with this reagent. Diethyl‐2‐hydroxyethylamine was used as a tertiary amine to prepare SBAEs. Structural and morphological characteristics were determined after every functionalization step of the macroporous network. Both the chloromethylation, in the presence of FeCl₃ as a catalyst, and the amination reactions determined a significant decrease of the pore volume, in the whole range of the nominal crosslinking degree, comparative with the starting copolymer. The specific surface area and the average pore radius varied in a different way as a function of the nominal crosslinking degree. Thus, the specific surface area increased and the average pore radius decreased after chloromethylation and amination for copolymers with a DVB content lower than 10 wt %. Small decreases of the specific surface area and the average pore radius were observed after chloromethylation and amination reactions for copolymers with a DVB content higher than 10 wt %. SBAEs were also characterized by thermogravimetric analysis and sorption capacity for uranyl chlorocomplexes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2451–2461, 2004     

Kinetic study of chitosan‐tripolyphosphate complex reaction and acid‐resistive properties of the chitosan‐tripolyphosphate gel beads prepared by in‐liquid curing method

Chitosan gel beads were prepared using an in‐liquid curing method by the ionotropic crosslinking with sodium tripolyphosphate. Crosslinking characteristics of the chitosan‐TPP beads were improved by the modification of in‐liquid curing mechanism of the beads in TPP solution. Chitosan gel beads cured in pH value lower than 6 were really ionic‐crosslinking controlled, whereas chitosan gel beads cured in pH values higher than 7 were coacervation‐phase inversion controlled accompanied with slightly ionic‐crosslinking dependence. According to the result, significantly increasing the ionic‐crosslinking density of chitosan beads could be achieved by transferring the pH value of the curing agent, TPP, from basic to acidic. The swelling behavior of various chitosan beads in acid appeared to depend on the ionic‐crosslinking density of the chitosan‐TPP beads that were deeply affected by the curing mechanism of the beads. The mechanism of chitosan‐TPP beads swollen in weak acid was chain‐relaxation controlled, while the mechanism of chitosan‐TPP beads swollen in strong acid seem to be not only chain‐relaxation but also chain‐scission controlled. Chitosan‐TPP beads prepared in acidic TPP solution decreased the chain‐scission ability due to the increase of ionic crosslinking density of the beads. By the transition of curing mechanism, the swelling degree of chitosan‐TPP beads was depressed, and the disintegration of chitosan‐TPP beads would not occur in strong acid. The mechanism of ionic‐crosslinking reaction of chitosan beads could be investigated by an unreacted core model, and the curing mechanism of the chitosan beads is mainly diffusion controlled when higher than 5% of chitosan was employed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1551–1564, 1999     

Synthesis and thermal properties of a novel lactose‐containing poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylamidolactamine) hydrogel

An improved, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of lactose‐containing monomer acrylamidolactamine (LAM) has been reported. Free radical copolymerization of this monomer with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in the presence of the crosslinking reagent N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (BisA) (1.2 mol %) proceeded smoothly in an aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (KPS) and N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) as the initiating system and gave transparent hydrogels. Reactivity ratios were estimated from copolymerization reactions carried out in solution without BisA crosslinker and at low conversion, by using both linearization and nonlinearization methods. They were found to be r_LAM = 0.75 and r_NIPAM = 1.22. The swelling behavior of the hydrogels was studied by immersion of the hydrogels in deionized water at different temperatures. Equilibrium water uptake was increased when the LAM content was higher than 47 mol %, and reached ≈ 44‐fold with 100 mol % LAM at room temperature. Depending on the composition, the gels showed sharp swelling transitions with small changes in temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to characterize the swelling transition and the organization of water in the copolymer hydrogels. The amounts of freezable water in these hydrogels ranged from 81 to 89%, and was not correlated to the content of the sugar monomer. These gels have potential applications as biocompatible materials. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1393–1402, 1999