Control of colloidal interactions between microgels with stimulus-responsive properties

Microgels can switch their chemical/physical properties with external stimulus, and the colloidal behavior of microgels is strongly affected by interparticle interactions. In this article, we introduce smart microgels, focusing on Janus microgels and oscillating microgels developed by our group. Janus microgels show anisotropic shape and chemical/physical properties, and thus the structures of their flocs are also anisotropic. Oscillating microgels show autonomous swelling/deswelling and dispersing/flocculating oscillations through synchronization with chemical reactions. The interparticle interactions of these microgels are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3021–3026     

Stimuli-responsive aqueous microgels: properties and applications

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Hydrophobically modified hydrogels containing azoaromatic cross-links: swelling properties, degradation in vivo and application in drug delivery

Hydrogels based on n-alkyl methacrylate esters (n-AMA) of various chain lengths, acrylic acid, and acrylamide cross-linked with 4,4-di(methacryloylamino)azobenzene were synthesized. The equilibrium swelling degree of the hydrogels in buffered solutions at pH 7.4 was shown to be very low in the pH range of the stomach. The entire swelling processes of the gels in the gastrointestinal tract were mainly dependent on those in the small intestine. In the buffered solution of pH 7.4 the diffusion of water into the gel slabs was discussed on the stress relaxation model of polymer chains. The results obtained are in good agreement with Schott's second-order diffusion kinetics. The biodegradability in vivo of their azobenzene cross-linking groups as well as the mechanism of degradation by cecal bacteria was studied. The gels are stable in the stomach but degradable by ananerobes present in the colon. The extent of degradation was considerably related to the equilibrium degree of swelling. The factors influencing the swelling degree were shown to influence the in vivo degradation of the gels. By changing these factors such as the degree of cross-linking, the length and content of the n-AMA side chains, it is possible to control both the degree of swelling and the degradation of the hydrogels.     

Dynamic Properties of Polyampholyte Hydrogel Elucidated by Proton NMR Spin-spin Relaxation Time

1H spin-spin relaxation time（T2） measurement of polyampholyte hydrogel poly（methylacrylic acidacryloyloxyethyl trimethylammonium chloride）[P（MA-DAC）] in different pH, ionic strength and temperature was carried out to reveal the molecular mobility. Spontaneous volume transition of the polyampholyte hydrogel was also investigated by spin-spin relaxation time measurement. Meanwhile T2 and the proton component fraction were acquired to study the swelling behaviour of the hydrogel. Moreover the changes of T2 characterized the molecular mo- bility of polyampholyte hydrogel in various swelling states. And the results suggest that the mobility of the main chains and a few free side chains（the long T2） of P（MA-DAC） was dominated by the mesh size in the hydrogel net- work, depending on the swelling ratio（Q） and the mobility of the side chains（the short T2） was influenced by electrostatic interaction between different charges in polymer side chains. Finally the T2 measurements of P（MA-DAC） hydrogel in the spontaneous swelling-deswelling process demonstrated the electrostatic interaction of the charged side chains caused deswelling behavior. At the same time, the mobility state transition temperature of the charged side chains was also studied by the lH spin-spin relaxation time measurements, and the transition activation energy of the side chains is 2.72 kJ.     

Equilibrium and kinetic aspects of the pH-dependent swelling of poly(2-vinylpyridine-co-styrene) microgels

 Monodisperse, cationic microgels were synthesized by surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization of 2-vinylpyridine and styrene, using the cationic initiator 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride. Low levels of divinylbenzene were employed as a cross-linking agent. The particle morphologies and diameters were characterized by a combination of TEM and photon correlation spectroscopy. At styrene contents less than 40% by weight, the particles were spherical with diameters of approximately 200 nm. The diameter decreased with increasing styrene content and the morphology changed from spherical to irregular. The pH-dependent swelling of the microgel particles was studied in constant ionic strength acetate buffers, as a function of styrene content and cross-link density. Particle diameters increased sharply below pH 4.6 due to ionization of the 2-vinylpyridine residues. At higher styrene levels, the transition pH is shifted to lower values and the extent of swelling is reduced. The pH at which swelling occurred was identical for the three cross-linker levels (0.25, 0.50 and 1.5 wt%), but the extent of swelling decreased in this order as expected. The rate of swelling of the particles was investigated by stopped-flow spectrophotometry; as microgels swell the turbidity of the dispersions decreases and this was followed as a function of time. Higher styrene contents not only reduce the extent of swelling, but also the rate at which maximum swelling is reached, whereas the level of cross-linker employed in this study has no effect on the rate of swelling. Received: 26 May 1997 Accepted: 16 July 1997     

Computer simulations of thermo-sensitive microgels: quantitative comparison with experimental swelling data

In this work, a quantitative comparison between experimental swelling data of thermo-sensitive microgels and computer simulation results obtained from a coarse-grained model of polyelectrolyte network and the primitive model of electrolyte is carried out. Polymer-polymer hydrophobic forces are considered in the model through a solvent-mediated interaction potential whose depth increases with temperature. The qualitative agreement between simulation and experiment is very good. In particular, our simulations predict a gradual shrinkage with temperature, which is actually observed for the microgels studied in this survey. In addition, the model can explain the swelling behavior for different contents of ionizable groups without requiring changes in the hydrophobic parameters. Our work also reveals that the abruptness of the shrinkage of charged gels is considerably conditioned by the number of monomeric units per chain. The swelling data are also analyzed with the Flory-Rhener theory, confirming some limitations of this classical formalism.     

Nanomechanical properties of polyaniline and azo polyelectrolyte multilayer films

<正>Nanomechanical properties of multilayer films constructed of polyaniline(PANI) and azobeneze-containing polyelectrolytes(PNACN and PPAPE) were studied by using nanoindentation method.The multilayer films were prepared by the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly through alternately dipping in the polymer solutions.The multilayer films deposited onto the glass slides after proper dry were used for the nanomechanical property testing.The nanomechanical measurement indicated that the PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE multilayers possessed the mean elastic modulus of 5.42 GPa and 4.35 GPa,and hardness of 0.26 GPa and 0.18 GPa,respectively.The nanoscratch properties of the PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE multilayer films were also measured.The critical loads of PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE films were 103.52 mN and 100.59 mN.The degree of electrostatic cross-linking in the multilayers could be altered by exposing the films to aqueous solutions with different pH values.As a result,the modulus and hardness of the multilayer films were changed through the solvent treatment.Both modulus and hardness of the PANI/PNACN films obviously increased after dipping the multilayer films in solutions with pH in a range from 9 to 11.     

Copolymers of 1-vinylimidazole and (meth)acrylic acid: Synthesis and polyelectrolyte properties

New hydrophilic polyampholytes have been synthesized by copolymerization of 1-vinylimidazole with sodium salts of acrylic and methacrylic acids. Copolymerization reactivity ratios of the monomers are equal to: 0.54 ± 0.06 and 1.3 ± 0.3 for 1-vinylimidazole-sodium acrylate, 0.23 ± 0.01 and 2.6 ± 0.2 for 1-vinylimidazole-sodium methacrylate systems, correspondingly. Isoelectric point of the copolymers changes continuously from 2.8 to 6.7 with increasing the 1-vinylimidazole content in contrast to polyampholytes with amino instead of imidazole side groups, whose isoelectric point changes discontinuously with changing composition. Static and dynamic light scattering data point to tendency of polyampholyte macromolecules to aggregation, even at pH values far from isoelectric point.     

The effect of electrosteric interactions on the effective charge of thermoresponsive ionic microgels: Theory and experiments

In this work, the influence of counterion valence and salt concentration on the effective charge of two types of thermoresponsive ionic microgel particles has been studied. The effective charge of the microgel at different swelling states has been experimentally determined from electrophoretic mobility measurements by solving the electrokinetic equations of the solvent for a single polyelectrolyte brush in the presence of an electric field, taking into account the friction of the solvent inside the polymer network. The experimental results have been compared to those obtained by means of the Ornstein‐Zernike integral formalism within the HNC relation. Results show that microgel bare charge is screened by the combined effect of counterion condensation and permeation inside the microgel particle. In addition to the electrostatic interaction, the steric exclusion exerted by the polymer plays an important role on the local ionic concentrations, especially for shrunken configurations. This steric term is responsible for the strong increase of the microgel effective charge experimentally observed when particles shrink for temperatures above the lower critical solution temperature. We also observe that, in the internal region of the microgel, charge electroneutrality is fulfilled, so the effective charge mainly arises from the region close to the microgel surface. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 2038–2049.     

Approaches to separation interfaces: Electrostatic interaction and local structures of ions at zwitterionic interface

The interaction and separation of ions with zwitterionic layers are reviewed principally based on a series of the author's work. An electrostatic model has allowed us to discuss the chromatographic retention of ions on the zwitterionic stationary phase, and has revealed the ionic interaction occurring at the zwitterionic interface. Similar consideration is applicable to the ionic partition into zwitterionic micelles having the spherical dimension. In the electrostatic models, ion association and solvation changes of ions have been assumed to explain the selectivity in ion recognition. Both assumptions are applicable to polarizable large ions, whereas the former cannot account for the results obtained for small and well-hydrated ions (Cl⁻ and Br⁻). A special X-ray absorption finestructure (XAFS) measurement, which allows selective access to ions interacting with surface monolayers, has been developed, and applied to ions attracted by a zwitterionic monolayer. The X-ray absorption spectra suggest that Zn²⁺ attracted by the zwitterionic monolayer is still hydrated. In contrast, the direct interaction of Br⁻ has been confirmed, indicating that the electrostatic model involving either ion association or the solvation change of an ion does not properly explain the observed phenomena but both effects should be taken into consideration.     

Experimental and mechanistic study of mudstone volumetric swelling at the bottom of salt cavern gas storage

Salt cavern gas storage is one of the vital strategic natural gas reserves and emergency peak shaving facilities all over the world. However, rock salt in China is primarily bedded salt, usually composed of many thin salt layers and interlayers (e.g., anhydrite, mudstone, and glauberite). During the water solution mining process of the cavern, the insoluble mudstones fall to the bottom and account for 1/3 up to 2/3 of the storage capacity. The bulk volume of the insoluble mudstones is almost twice its in-suit volume. It is of great urgency to investigate the swelling mechanisms of the bottom insoluble mudstones. Given this, we first analyzed the mineral composition of salt rock and insoluble mudstones by using XRD and SEM methods. Then, experimental studies were carried out considering both clay swelling and physical packing. At last, the zeta potential tests were conducted to reveal the swelling mechanisms of the bottom mudstones. Results show that the volumetric expansion of mudstones is made up of three parts: clay swelling, particle surface bound water volume, and pore space free water volume increase. Because the content of expansive clay in the bottom mudstones is less than 2%, and the high salinity brine in the cavern has excellent clay stability performance, clay swelling is not the main contributor to the volumetric expansion of the bottom mudstones. Measurement results show that the surface of the mudstones is negatively charged after hydration. Electrostatic repulsion can increase the spacing between small rock particles and creates approximately 47.6% of the pore space, which is the main factor in the volumetric expansion of mudstones. This study provides a theoretical basis for the mining solution and capacity enlargement during the construction of bedded salt cavern gas storage in China.     

Behavior of heterogeneous macromolecular structures Part I: Microgels and coated microgels

Homopolymeric microgels composed of PMMA were prepared by emulsion polymerization in the presence of 0.5 % 1,4-butanediol divinylether (BVE) in an aqueous medium followed by careful removal of the soap. The microgels were coated with polystyrene (PS) by anionic grafting of living PS chains onto the surface. Both types of microgels were characterized by GPC and by static and dynamic light scattering in several solvents. A special model consisting of a hard core and a seam of dangling chains has been developed and applied to interpreting the light scattering data from the various solvents. The model gives consistent results, e. g. the core radius agrees well with the radius of gyration. In the coated microgels a strong expansion of the core as a result of the PS/ PMMA incompatibility is observed.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. H.-G. Kilian on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Kinetic aspects and swelling changes of magnesium and cerium titano-antimonates in aqueous and mixed solvents

Magnesium titano-antimonate (MgTi₅Sb₂O₁₆·12.5H₂O) and cerium titano-antimonate (Ce₂.₇Ti₅Sb₂O₁₉·15.0H₂O) were synthesized as new cation exchangers using the in situ precipitation technique. Physico-chemical investigations showed different behaviors for the obtained materials. The materials have significant stability at high acid concentration and temperature. The ion exchange capacity for Cs⁺ in the presence of different alcoholic solvents was found to increase and generally obey the order C₂H₅OH > CH₃OH > H₂O. Diffusion coefficients (D_i) and thermodynamic parameters of Cs⁺ exchange in both magnesium and cerium titano-antimonates in aqueous and alcoholic solutions were calculated. The swelling ratios of the materials were predicted by applying modified calculations at constant values of D_i. The results showed insignificant swelling behavior in the presence of organic solvents.     

On the swelling behavior of linear end-grafted polystyrene in methanol/toluene mixtures

Neutron reflectivity measurements have been performed with polystyrene (PS) brushes of different graft densities ranging from =0.020 to =0.051 in contact with toluene/methanol mixtures of different composition. The brushes were prepared by a grafting-from procedure resulting in linear chains of average molecular weight _n=300,000 g mol^–1. The recorded reflectivity curves could be analyzed to a first approximation by assuming a flat scattering length density profile within the brush normal to the surface with a moderate Gaussian smearing of the interface brush/solvent. With increasing toluene content a substantial thickness increase was found with the swollen brush at 70 vol.% being 3.7 times thicker than the dry collapsed film. At low toluene contents the preferential incorporation of this good solvent for the PS brush exceeds a factor 3.5 relative to the molar ratio of the bulk solvent mixture with methanol.

高浓度丙烯酸酯类微凝胶分散液的制备及性质

用微乳液聚合方法合成了浓度高达30wt%的丙烯酸酯类微凝胶,研究了乳化剂用量和微乳液浓度对微凝胶粒径及分布的影响,以及交联剂用量对微凝胶二甲苯分散液的流变行为的影响。利用制备的微凝胶对高固体份羟基丙烯酸树脂进行了改性。实验结果表明,微凝胶改性的树脂具有显著的切力变稀现象。     

Carboxylated core–shell particles: I. A system showing hindered swelling behavior

We study the swelling behavior of carboxylated core–shell particles. It is well-known that these particles swell with increasing pH due to the electrostatic repulsion between carboxylate groups. Our results reveal that the swelling behavior is affected by the preparation method. We find that the swelling is promoted in those particles which were initially in a highly swollen state (pH  10). However, the swelling is hindered for those particles which were not previously in this trigger pH. In the hindered systems, a compact conformation of the polymer shell is induced by hydrophobic attractions between the non-charged segments which compete against the swelling driving force. In addition, an interesting hysteresis behavior emerges when promoted systems are subjected to a heating–cooling cycle; a new stable system appears with a less extended polymer shell conformation. Furthermore, salt-induced swelling experiments corroborate not only polymer restructuring but also assembly among carboxylate groups which affects their ionization grade.     

Effect of surfactant on porosity and swelling behaviors of guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite superabsorbent hydrogels

Novel fast-swelling porous guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite (GG-g-P(NaA-co-St)/APT) superabsorbent hydrogels were prepared by simultaneous free-radical graft copolymerization reaction of guar gum (GG), partially neutralized AA (NaA), styrene (St) and attapulgite (APT) using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator in aqueous solution and the surfactant self-assembling templating pore-forming technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the surfactant could be removed from the final hydrogel product by methanol/water (8:1, v/v) washing process and the surfactant only act as micelle template to form pores. The effect of surfactant type on the porous microstructure of the hydrogel was assessed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). It was shown that incorporation of proper amount of anionic surfactant sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the gelling process of the hydrogel can obviously enhance the swelling capacity and initial swelling rate. The salt-sensitivity of the SDS-added hydrogel in distilled water and 15 mmol/L NaCl, CaCl(2) solution or 15 mmol/L NaCl and CaCl(2) solution was investigated, and it was found that the swelling-deswelling capability is quite reversible. A similar reproducible on-off switching behavior was observed in the 1 mmol/L solution of phosphate buffer at pH 2.1 and 7.4.     

Experimental contribution to the understanding of transport through polydimethylsiloxanenanofiltration membranes: Influence of swelling,compaction and solvent on permeation properties

This study aims to better understand the permeation properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes. The compressibility and nanofiltration fluxes were measured for swollen PDMS films using several solvents at applied pressures ranging from 5 to 50 bar. The degree of swelling varied according to the solvent and the pressure applied. To show the correlation between the behaviour of the swollen PDMS under pressure and its permeation performance, the thickness reduction of the membrane was mimicked using uniaxial compression tests. The evolution of the nanofiltration flux as a function of the transmembrane pressure proved to be non-linear. Linearization was achieved by taking into account both the swelling and the thickness reduction previously measured, confirming that these phenomena may have occurred during the nanofiltration experiments. Moreover, the solvents' viscosity and affinity for the polymer were confirmed to have a great influence on their ability to permeate the membrane. Finally, employing the most commonly used models, a study of transport through the membrane led to the conclusion that the experimental results were in agreement with the hydraulic theory of transport.     

Study on superabsorbent composite XVI. Synthesis, characterization and swelling behaviors of poly(sodium acrylate)/vermiculite superabsorbent composites

A series of superabsorbent composites were synthesized by copolymerization reaction of partially neutralized acrylic acid on unexpanded vermiculite (UVMT) micropowder using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator in aqueous solution. And the samples were further characterized by means of fourier-transform spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of vermiculite content on water absorbency were studied. Swelling behaviors of the superabsorbent composites in various cationic salt solutions (NaCl, CaCl₂ and FeCl₃), anionic salt solutions (NaCl, Na₂SO₄ and Na₃PO₄) and pH solutions were also systematically investigated. Results obtained showed that the equilibrium water absorbency increased with increasing UVMT content and the concentration of 20 wt.% clay gave the best absorption (1232 g/g in distilled water and 89 g/g in 0.9 wt.% NaCl). Data achieved also suggested that the water absorbency in various saline solutions decreased with an increase in the ionic strengths of these solutions. And it was found that at a higher ionic strength (>1 × 10⁻³ M), the water absorbency in monovalent cationic solutions was higher than those in multivalent cationic solutions. However, at the same ionic strength (>1 × 10⁻³ M), the effect of three anionic salt solutions on the swelling has the following order: NaCl < Na₂SO₄ < Na₃PO₄.     

Dynamic control of volume phase transitions of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) based microgels in water using hydrazide‐aldehyde chemistry

We demonstrate that the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of copolymer microgel particles made from N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and methacryloyl hydrazide (MH) can be tailored in a reversible manner upon the reaction of the hydrazide functional groups with aldehydes. The microgels were synthesized by precipitation polymerization in water. Due to the water‐soluble nature of the MH monomer, the VPTT at which the microgel particles contract shifts to higher values by increasing the incorporated amounts of methacryloyl hydrazide from 0 to 5.0 mol %. The VPTT of the copolymer microgel dispersions in water can be fine‐tuned upon addition of hydrophobic/hydrophilic aldehydes, which react with the hydrazide moiety to produce the hydrazone analogue. This hydrazone formation is reversible, which allows for flexible, dynamic control of the thermo‐responsive behavior of the microgels. The ability to “switch” the VPTT was demonstrated by exposing hydrophilic streptomycin sulfate salt incubated microgel particles to an excess of a hydrophobic aldehyde, that is benzaldehyde. The temperature at which these microgels contracted in size upon heating was markedly lowered in these aldehyde exchange experiments. Transformation into benzaldehyde hydrazone derivatives led to assembly of the microgel particles into small colloidal clusters at elevated temperatures. This control of supracolloidal cluster formation was also demonstrated with polystyrene particles which had a hydrazide functionalised microgel shell. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1745–1754