Acryloylated α,/β-poly (N-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide and α,β-polyasparthydrazide. Synthesis, characterization and radiation formation of polymeric networks

 In the present study the derivatization of two water-soluble and synthetic polymers, such as α,β-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) and α,β-polyasparthydrazide (PAHy), with glycidylmethacrylate (GMA) is described. This reaction allowed the introduction of double bonds in the macromolecular chains of PHEA and PAHy in order to make easier the crosslinking by a radical mechanism. Different parameters affected the reaction of derivatization, such as reaction pH, GMA concentration and reaction time. As far as PHEA is concerned the amount of GMA linked to the polymer increased until reaching a plateau. On the contrary, the reaction of PAHy with GMA proceeded with a zero order kinetics and the GMA amount in the polymer increased regularly. Some aqueous solutions of PHEA-GMA and PAHy-GMA copolymers at various GMA content were submitted to gamma radiation processing, thus obtaining crosslinked structures. The derivatization of PHEA and PAHy with GMA was a convenient method to introduce insaturations in their chains and it allowed to obtain gels at lower doses with respect to the starting polymers. Received: 2 April 1996 Accepted: 30 June 1996