pH/temperature double responsive behaviors and mechanical strength of laponite-crosslinked poly(DEA-<i>co</i>-DMAEMA) nanocomposite hydrogels

Abstract

A nanocomposite (NC) hydrogel crosslinked by inorganic Laponite XLG was successfully synthesized via in situ free radical polymerization of monomers N,N-diethylacrylamide and (2-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA). Polymerization was carried out at room temperature due to the accelerating effect of DMAEMA. The as-prepared hydrogels displayed controlled transformation in optical transmittance and volume in response to small diversification of environmental factors, such as temperature and pH. The compressive strength of swollen D6:1G6 hydrogels was as high as 2219 kPa while compressive strain was 95%. Cyclic compression measurement exhibited good elastic properties of NC hydrogels. This work provides a facile method for fabricating stimuli-responsive hydrogels with superior mechanical property. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 876–884