甲基丙烯酸烷基酯为疏水成分的溶剂改性pH-敏感凝胶的溶胀行为

以不同酯烷基链长的甲基丙烯酸烷基酯为疏水成分，甲基丙烯酸二乙氨基乙酯(DEA)为可离子化单体，及以二甲基丙烯酸乙二醇酯(EGDM)或二乙烯苯(DVB)为交联剂，合成了数个系列甲苯改性的不同交联度的疏水阳离子凝胶，研究了这些凝胶以pH-敏感溶胀为主的容胀行为．发现以甲基丙烯酸正丁酶(BMA)，EGDM及DEA合成的改性凝胶，与以苯乙烯(St)，DVB及DEA合成的溶剂改性凝胶具有十分相似的平衡溶胀和动力学溶胀性质．研究结果为增加疏水阳离子凝胶的载药种类，拓宽由pH改变而触发释药的控释体系的应用范围提供了新的途径．     

离子键交联的聚两性电解质凝胶在不同pH和不同电解质溶液中溶胀行为研究

以丙烯酸(AA)和甲基丙烯酸二乙氨基乙酯(DEAM)形成的离子复合物与丙烯酰胺(AAm)共聚,合成了一种新型的离子键交联的聚两性电解质凝胶(PADA).由于分子之间的氢键作用,PADA凝胶并不是在A/C(负正离子单体摩尔比)为1,而是在A/C为1.55处有最大消溶胀.与共价键交联的聚两性电解质凝胶相比,PADA凝胶的溶胀行为具有更强的pH敏感性.PADA凝胶在不同pH缓冲溶液中的溶胀行为表明,在pH 3~4之间消溶胀程度最大.在偏离该pH区域时凝胶均发生溶胀.但凝胶的溶胀程度在pH<3的酸性溶液中随A/C的增加而降低;而在pH>4的偏碱性溶液中随其增加而增加.在不同价数的离子溶液中,离子浓度对于PADA凝胶的平衡溶胀有着不同的影响.对于一价的NaCl溶液,PADA凝胶有典型的反聚电解质效应.但对于高价的CaCl2和柠檬酸三钠溶液,只在较低的浓度下,才表现出反聚电解质效应.而在较高盐浓度时,随盐浓度的增加其溶胀比反而降低.这可能与高价离子形成的离子键交联有关.与pH对PADA凝胶溶胀程度的影响相似,在CaCl2溶液中,PADA凝胶的溶胀程度随A/C的增加而降低;而在柠檬酸三钠溶液中则刚好相反.这种独特的溶胀行为似乎与高价离子电荷的正负性有关.     

Adsorption of polyvinylimidazole onto kaolinite

The adsorption of polyvinylimidazole (PVI) onto kaolinite from aqueous solutions has been investigated systematically as a function of parameters such as calcination temperature of kaolinite, pH, ionic strength, and temperature. According to the experimental results, the adsorption of PVI increases with pH from 8.50 to 11.50, temperature from 25 to 55 degrees C, and ionic strength from 0 to 0.1 mol L(-1). The kaolinite sample calcined at 600 degrees C has a maximum adsorption capacity. Adsorption isotherms of PVI onto kaolinite have been determined and correlated with common isotherm equations such as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Langmuir isotherm model appeared to fit the isotherm data better than the Freundlich isotherm model. The physical properties of this adsorbent are consistent with the parameters obtained from the isotherm equations. Furthermore, the zeta potentials of kaolinite suspensions have been measured in aqueous solutions of different PVI concentrations and pH. From the experimental results, (i) pH strongly alters the zeta potential of kaolinite; (ii) kaolinite has an isoelectric point at about pH 2.35 in water and about pH 8.75 in 249.9 ppm PVI concentration; (iii) PVI changes the interface charge from negative to positive for kaolinite. The study of temperature effect has been quantified by calculating various thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy changes. The dimensionless separation factor (RL) has shown that kaolinite can be used for adsorption of PVI from aqueous solutions.     

Phase Transition of Acrylamide‐Based Polyampholyte Gels in Water

The swelling behavior of acrylamide (AAm)–based polyampholyte hydrogels in water and in aqueous salt (NaCl) solutions was investigated. [(Methacrylamido)propyl]trimethyl‐ammonium chloride (MAPTAC) and acrylic acid (AAc) were used as the ionic comonomer in the hydrogel preparation. Three sets of hydrogels containing 70 mol% AAm and 30 mol% ionic comonomers of varying mole ratios were prepared. The variations of the hydrogel volume in response to changes in pH, and salt concentration were measured. As pH increases from 1, the hydrogel volume V _eq in water first increases and reaches a maximum value at a certain pH. Then, it decreases again with a further increase in pH and attains a minimum value around the isoelectric point (IEP). After passing the collapsed plateau region, the gel reswells again up to pH=7.1. The reswelling of the collapsed gels containing 10 and 4% MAPTAC occurs as a first‐order phase transition at pH=5.85 and 4.35, respectively, while the hydrogel with 1% MAPTAC reswells continuously beyond its IEP. Depending on pH of the solution, the hydrogels immersed in salt solutions exhibit typical polyelectrolyte or antipolyelectrolye behavior. The experimental swelling data were compared with the predictions of the Flory‐Rehner theory of swelling equilibrium including the ideal Donnan equilibria. It was shown that the equilibrium swelling theory qualitatively predicts the experimental behavior of polyampholyte hydrogels.     

Activity of counterions in hydrogels based on poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid): Potentiometric measurements

The behavior of partially ionized weakly crosslinked gels based on poly(acrylic acid) and poly(methacrylic acid) undergoing contraction in the presence of a low-molecular-mass salt is studied experimentally. The concentration dependences of the enthalpies of swelling of gels in water and aqueous solutions with potassium chloride concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 mmol/L are determined via the method of isothermal calorimetry. On the basis of the obtained data, the enthalpy parameter of interaction between a polymer network and a medium is estimated as a function of the amount of the salt. This parameter does not exceed 0.3 and monotonically decreases with an increase in the concentration of the salt. The Donnan potential of gels depending on the concentration of KCl in the external solution is measured via the method of potentiometry with the use of capillary electrodes, and the activity of potassium counterions in the medium of hydrogel is calculated. The main factor that causes contraction of polyelectrolyte gels in a solution of a low-molecular-mass salt is a decline in the activity of counterions that leads to a decrease in the osmotic pressure inside the gel. A decline in activity may be associated with both a reduction in the activity coefficient and ionic association processes in the hydrogel.     

Hydrogels of Gelatin-Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose: Synthesis and Swelling Kinetics

Abstract

Hydrogels of gelatin crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) of several compositions were prepared. The swelling kinetics as a function of composition, temperature. pH, and ionic strength was studied. The rate of swelling and equilibrium swelling were found to depend on the NaCMC content in all cases. The equilibrium swelling increased with the temperature. The gels, which were weakly acidic, registered increased swelling at higher pH. Swelling was suppressed in aqueous salt solutions. In agreement with predictions of the Donnan theory, swelling in monovalent salt solutions is greater than in divalent salt solutions.     

An extension of the Pitzer equation for the excess Gibbs energy of aqueous electrolyte systems to aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions

Pitzer's equation for the excess Gibbs energy of aqueous solutions of low-molecular electrolytes is extended to aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes. The model retains the original form of Pitzer's model (combining a long-range term, based on the Debye–Hückel equation, with a short-range term similar to the virial equation where the second osmotic virial coefficient depends on the ionic strength). The extension consists of two parts: at first, it is assumed that a constant fraction of the monomer units of the polyelectrolyte is dissociated, i.e., that fraction does not depend on the concentration of the polyelectrolyte, and at second, a modified expression for the ionic strength (wherein each charged monomer group is taken into account individually) is introduced. This modification is to account for the presence of charged polyelectrolyte chains, which cannot be regarded as punctual charges. The resulting equation was used to correlate osmotic coefficient data of aqueous solutions of a single polyelectrolyte as well as of binary mixtures of a single polyelectrolyte and a salt with low-molecular weight. It was additionally applied to correlate liquid–liquid equilibrium data of some aqueous two-phase systems that might form when a polyelectrolyte and another hydrophilic but neutral polymer are simultaneously dissolved in water. A good agreement between the experimental data and the correlation result is observed for all investigated systems.     

Molecular thermodynamics for swelling of a mesoscopic ionomer gel in 1 : 1 salt solutions

For a microphase-separated diblock copolymer ionic gel swollen in salt solution, a molecular-thermodynamic model is based on the self-consistent field theory in the limit of strongly segregated copolymer subchains. The geometry of microdomains is described using the Milner generic wedge construction neglecting the packing frustration. A geometry-dependent generalized analytical solution for the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation is obtained. This generalized solution not only reduces to those known previously for planar, cylindrical and spherical geometries, but is also applicable to saddle-like structures. Thermodynamic functions are expressed analytically for gels of lamellar, bicontinuous, cylindrical and spherical morphologies. Molecules are characterized by chain composition, length, rigidity, degree of ionization, and by effective polymer-polymer and polymer-solvent interaction parameters. The model predicts equilibrium solvent uptakes and the equilibrium microdomain spacing for gels swollen in salt solutions. Results are given for details of the gel structure: distribution of mobile ions and polymer segments, and the electric potential across microdomains. Apart from effects obtained by coupling the classical Flory-Rehner theory with Donnan equilibria, viz. increased swelling with polyelectrolyte charge and shrinking of gel upon addition of salt, the model predicts the effects of microphase morphology on swelling.     

Osmotic deswelling of weakly charged poly(acrylic acid) solutions and gels

The osmotic pressure of weakly charged aqueous poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) solutions and the swelling pressure PAA gels were studied by osmotic deswelling at different degrees of ionization (α). In solution, the osmotic pressure was found to scale linearly with concentration, whereas the scaling power of the swelling pressure of gels was higher (1.66). The effect of the ionization degree on the osmotic coefficient in PAA solutions was in agreement with the theory of Borue and Erukhimovich [Macromolecules, 21 , 3240 (1988)]. Ionization increases the swelling capacity of the PAA gels until a plateau is reached at about 35% neutralization. The concentration at equilibrium swelling scales as C_e ～ α^?0.6. The contribution of the network to the gel swelling pressure is evaluated by subtracting the osmotic pressure of the polymer solution at the same concentration and degree of ionization. In swollen gels the extended network opposes swelling. As the gel is osmotically deswelled, a state of zero network pressure exists at a certain concentration, below which the network elasticity favors swelling. The crossover concentration shifts to lower values as the degrees of ionization increases. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Partitioning of hexavalent chromium in temperature-sensitive,polyelectrolyte hydrogels

Partitioning data for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) are presented for systems where thermally sensitive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA)-based hydrogels are in contact with aqueous solutions of potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇). The poly-NIPA hydrogels contain 0–3% quatemized amine comonomer. Experimental results are given for the effect of gel charge, ionic strength and temperature on the partitioning of Cr(VI) into these NIPA-copolymer gels. At low ionic strength, the partition coefficient increases with the content of quatemized amine. The effect of rising temperature is to increase the partition coefficient. Swelling equilibria in aqueous K₂Cr₂O₇ solutions decrease with ionic strength and, at ionic strengths <0.1 M, are lower compared to swelling in aqueous sodium chloride solutions. Experimental partitioning data as a function of ionic strength and gel charge are compared with predictions based on two theoretical models for mixed electrolyte solutions. Predictions based on the cell model for polyelectrolyte solutions agree best with experimental results. Calculated results are in semi-quantitative agreement with experimental data for the effects of solution ionic strength and gel charge on Cr(VI) partitioning and in qualitative agreement for the effect of temperature.     

Swelling equilibria and volume phase transition of polyelectrolyte gel with strongly dissociated groups

The peculiarities of the swelling equilibrium and volume phase transition of polyelectrolyte copolymer gels consisting of acrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulphonic acid (AAm/AMPS) have been studied as a function of copolymer composition and gel structure. Equilibrium swelling for AAm/AMPS gels in buffer solutions, pure water and aqueous salt (NaCl) solutions were investigated. The swelling curves were calculated using the Hasa–Ilavský–Dušek theory and obtained experimentally. The agreement is reasonably good, and the HID theory can be used to estimate the swelling and structural parameter of AAm/AMPS gels. The volume phase transition has been generated by changing the solvent composition by progressive substitution of water by acetone. The critical interaction parameter corresponding to collapse depends strongly on the composition of the gel, since the extent of collapse is determined by composition and cross-link density of the gel.     

聚皂凝胶在溶液中的溶胀-消溶胀研究

聚皂是一类疏水改性的聚合物电解质,在其大分子结构中既带有亲水基团又带有疏水基团．通过一定程度的交联,可获得聚皂水凝胶．与近年来颇受关注的智能聚合物水凝胶一样,聚皂凝胶也表现出了相当的环境敏感特性．一般来说,聚合物水凝胶的ｐＨ敏感特性取决于分子链上所含...     

New neutral and ionic poly(ethylene oxide) networks by radical polymerization

New opportunities resulting from a turn to radical polymerization in the synthesis of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) networks are discussed and exemplified. Several series of such networks have been prepared by radical homo‐ and copolymerization in aqueous media of “macromonomers”, i.e. partly methacrylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) of varied molecular weight (MW ≅ 2000‐12000) and functionality (f_n ≅ 1.25‐1.8). This family of gels as a whole has the volume swelling degree Q in the range of 10 to 200 ml/ml. The hydrogels are characterized by means of Q, elastic modulus, swelling pressure, and with the use of some probes. The swelling behaviour of neutral hydrogels of this kind is briefly resumed. The multifunctional junctions formed in the propagation reaction of methacrylate end groups determine their main peculiarity. Anomalous elastic behaviour of the swollen networks prepared at high concentration of polymer has been observed and attributed to the network chains stretching of the same nature as in polymer stars or brushes. The junctions' functionality (F ≈ 20‐300) is evaluated from these data as well as from MW of the soluble models of network junctions. The PEO networks with charged units in junctions have been obtained by copolymerization of macromonomers with some ionic (meth)acrylic monomers. These gels display all the polyelectrolyte features, e.g. enhanced Q values in water (up to 50‐70) and, contrary to neutral PEO gels, the strong dependence on salt content. However, the osmotic contribution of mobile ions into swelling is shown to be low due to localization of charges in the junctions. The hydrogels that combine PEO and polymethacrylic acid chains capable of interpolymer complexation have been prepared and studied. They show much higher swelling in pure water (Q up to 200), strong deswelling by NaCl, and very sharp drop in swelling (ca. two order in Q) at pH ≈ 4.5‐5.5 due to complexation.     

Hydrogel composites of neutral and slightly charged poly (acrylamide) gels with incorporated bentonite. Interaction with salt,linear polyelectrolytes and ionic surfactants

The swelling behavior in the solutions of sodium chloride, linear polyelectrolytes and ionic surfactants of the composites based on clay mineral bentonite (BENT) embedded in neutral and slightly charged poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) gels is studied. Negatively charged flat clay particles incorporated into polymer gel adsorb oppositely charged surfactant and linear polyelectrolyte and attract the charged chains of cationic polymer matrix. The results of SAXS study manifest the formation of lamella structure of the cationic surfactant adsorbed by the clay plates. The gels loaded with the clay show a strong response to changes in the nature and the composition of the ionic environment.     

Swelling of polyacrylamide gels in aqueous solutions of ethylene glycol oligomers

Addition of a small amount of ethylene glycol oligomers (OEG), with the number of repeat units y = 2–4, in an aqueous solution leads to the contraction of both linear and cross-linked poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) chains. The results present clear evidence for the screening effect of OEG on the ionic groups of the polymer chains. Measurements indicate that the pre-swollen poly (acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) gels immersed in aqueous OEG solutions are at equilibrium. However, as the molecular weight of OEG increases, these gels cannot attain their equilibrium swelling ratio due to the appearance of non-equilibrium structures. The stability of these structures increases as the initial swelling degree of the gels increases.     

Effect of acid-base equilibria on the donnan potential of layer-by-layer redox polyelectrolyte multilayers

In polymer films carrying an excess of fixed charge the electrostatic penalty to bring ions of same charge from the bathing electrolyte into the film sets a membrane potential (Donnan Potential) across the film-electrolyte interface. This potential is responsible for the ionic permselectivity observed in polyelectrolyte membranes. We have used electrochemical measurements to probe the dependence of the Donnan potential on the acid-base equilibrium in layer-by-layer self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayers. The voltammperogram peak position of the Os(III)/Os(II) couple in self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayers comprised of poly(allylamine) derivatized with Os(bpy)(2)PyCl+ and poly(vinylsulfonate) was recorded in solutions of increasing ionic strength for different assembly and testing solution pH. Protonation-deprotonation of the weak redox poly(allylamine) changes the fixed charge population in the as prepared (intrinsic) self-assembled redox polyelectrolyte multilayers. For films assembled in solutions of pH higher than the test solution pH, the Donnan plots (E(app) vs log C) exhibit a negative slope (anionic exchanger) while for films assembled at lower pH than that of the test solution positive slopes (cationic exchanger) are apparent. The ion exchange mechanism has been supported by complementary electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy experiments demonstrated that the as prepared films have a memory effect on their protonation state during assembly, which leads to the observed dependence of the Donnan potential on the adsorption pH.     

Salting-in effect of ionic liquids on poly(N-vinylimidazole) hydrogels

This work attempts to study the interaction of two ionic liquids (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tosylate and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) with chemically crosslinked poly(N-vinylimidazole) in aqueous media, and to compare it with that of NaCl, a typical salting-out electrolyte. The three salts show a salting-in effect whose intensity was measured on the basis of the decrease of the polymer–solvent interaction parameter and the increase of swelling with increasing ionic strength. It was thus found that the salting-in effect is the same for the two salts with the same anion (chloride), while the intensity of the salting-in effect exerted by the tosylate ionic liquid is larger. The coefficient of selective sorption, which expresses the salt excess inside the swollen gel with respect to the external solution was determined by comparing the initial and equilibrium compositions of the immersion bath. These results are discussed in terms of the hydrophobic character of the ions involved.     

Structure and mechanism formation of polyelectrolyte complex obtained from PSS/PAH system: effect of molar mixing ratio, base–acid conditions, and ionic strength

Colloidal dispersions of polyelectrolyte complexes were prepared in aqueous solutions. We have used mixtures containing the strongly charged anionic polyelectrolyte sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and the weak cationic polyelectrolyte polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH). Both polymers have the same molecular weight. The complexes were obtained by adding drop by drop a solution of the anionic polyelectrolyte to excess cationic polyelectrolyte. In these conditions, sodium polystyrene sulfonate and polyallylamine hydrochloride self-assembled in nanometer-range complexes; the self-assembly is driven by electrostatic interactions, as well as by entropy changes due to counterion release. The electrostatic interactions were controlled in several ways: by changing the C _PSS/C _PAH concentration ratio, by modifying the pH (and thus the protonation degree of polyallylamine hydrochloride), and by adding sodium chloride (screened interactions). Dynamic light scattering experiments demonstrated that the hydrodynamics radius of the polyelectrolyte complex increases, changing from soluble to insoluble complex formation, when some physicochemical parameters are increased: the concentration ratio between polyelectrolytes, the sodium chloride concentration, and pH. Zeta potential measurements, as a function of the C _PSS/C _PAH concentration ratio, as well as of pH and ionic strength, allow us to state that the resulting particles have a structure constituted by a neutral core surrounded by a positively charged shell. The polyelectrolyte complexes have globular shapes, as observed by electron microscopy.     

Network structure and swelling behavior of poly(acrylamide/crotonic acid) hydrogels in aqueous salt solutions

Hydrogels with various ionic group contents were prepared from acrylamide and crotonic acid (CrA) monomers with 0–12.9 mol % CrA in aqueous solutions by radiation‐induced polymerization and gelation with γ rays from a ⁶⁰Co source. The volume swelling ratio of the poly(acrylamide/crotonic acid) hydrogels was investigated as a function of the pH and ionic strength of the swelling medium and the type of counterion in the swelling medium. The volume swelling ratio increased with an increase in pH and a decrease in the ionic strength. The volume swelling ratio of these hydrogels was evaluated with an equation, based on the Flory–Huggins thermodynamic theory, the James–Guth phantom network theory, and the Donnan theory of swelling of weakly charged ionic gels, that was modified here for the determination of the molecular weight between crosslinks (M_c) and the polymer–solvent interaction parameter (χ). The modified equation described very well the swelling behavior of the charged polymeric network. The same equation also provided the simultaneous measurement of these parameters for the systems investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1656–1664, 2003     

Similarities between polyelectrolyte gels and biopolymer solutions

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements and osmotic swelling pressure measurements are reported for polyelectrolyte gels and solutions under nearly physiological conditions. A synthetic polymer (sodium-polyacrylate) and three biopolymers (DNA, hyaluronic acid, and polyaspartic acid) are studied. The neutron scattering response of these anionic polyelectrolytes is closely similar, indicating that at larger length scales the organization of the polymer molecules is not significantly affected by the fine details of the molecular architecture (e.g., size and chemical structure of the monomer unit, type of polymer backbone). The results suggest that specific interactions between the polyelectrolyte chains and the surrounding monovalent cations are negligible. It is found that the osmotic compression modulus of these biopolymer solutions determined from the analysis of the SANS response decreases with increasing chain persistence length. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3679–3686, 2006