Copolymerization and properties of multicomponent crosslinked hydrogels

A series of multicomponent hydrogels were prepared by the copolymerization of hydrophobic silicon-containing monomer 3-bis(trimethylsilyloxy) methylsilylpropyl glycerol methacrylate(Si MA) with the solvent-responsive monomers 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate(HEMA) and N-vinyl pyrrolidone(NVP) and thermosensitive monomer N,N-dimethyl acrylamide(DMA). 2-Hydroxy-2-methyl phenyl acetone(D-1173) was chosen as UV initiator and five different dienes/triene monomers were selected as crosslinking agent in order to select the best crosslinker. The ethanol extraction experiments as well as the FTIR, DSC and TG results showed that the copolymerization was effective. The optical, permeability, and mechanical analysis results demonstrated that the obtained hydrogels were highly transparent with good oxygen permeability and mechanical properties. And the impact of crosslinker on the mechanical properties of the hydrogels was also discussed in detail. The basic results demonstrated that the obtained hydrogels had good stimuli-responsive effects to both p H value and solvent.