Effect of chemical structure on the volume-phase transition in neutral and weakly charged poly(N-alkyl(meth)acrylamide) hydrogels studied by ultrasmall-angle x-ray scattering

Thermoresponsiveness Across the Physiologically Accessible Range: Effect of Surfactant, Cross-Linker, and Initiator Content on Size, Structure, and Transition Temperature of Poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) Microgels

The influence of surfactant, cross-linker, and initiator on the final structure and thermoresponse of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (pNIPMAM) microgels was evaluated. The goals were to control particle size (into the nanorange) and transition temperature (across the physiologically accessible range). The concentration of the reactants used in the synthesis was varied, except for the monomer, which was kept constant. The thermoresponsive suspensions formed were characterized by dynamic light scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, atomic force microscopy, and rheology. Increasing surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate content, produced smaller microgels, as expected, into the nanorange and with greater internal entanglement, but with no change in phase transition temperature (LCST), which is contrary to previous reports. Increasing cross-linker, N,N-methylenebis acrylamide, content had no impact on particle size but reduced particle deformability and, again contrary to previous reports of decreases, progressively increased the LCST from 39 to 46 °C. The unusual LCST trends were confirmed using different rheological techniques. Initiator, potassium persulfate, content was found to weakly influence the outcomes. An optimized content was identified that provides functional nanogels in the 100 nm (swollen) size range with controlled LCST, just above physiological temperature. The study contributes chemistry-derived design rules for thermally responsive colloidal particles with physiologically accessible LCST for a variety of biomedical and soft robotics applications.

External Stimuli-Responsive Characteristics of Poly(N,N'-diethylacrylamide) Hydrogels: Effect of Double Network Structure

Swelling experiments and NMR spectroscopy were combined to study effect of various stimuli on the behavior of hydrogels with a single- and double-network (DN) structure composed of poly(N,N'-diethylacrylamide) and polyacrylamide (PAAm). The sensitivity to stimuli in the DN hydrogel was found to be significantly affected by the introduction of the second component and the formation of the double network. The interpenetrating structure in the DN hydrogel causes the units of the component, which is insensitive to the given stimulus in the form of the single network (SN) hydrogel, to be partially formed as globular structures in DN hydrogel. Due to the hydrophilic PAAm groups, temperature- and salt-induced changes in the deswelling of the DN hydrogel are less intensive and gradual compared to those of the SN hydrogel. The swelling ratio of the DN hydrogel shows a significant decrease in the dependence on the acetone content in acetone-water mixtures. A certain portion of the solvent molecules bound in the globular structures was established from the measurements of the 1H NMR spin-spin relaxation times T2 for the studied DN hydrogel. The time-dependent deswelling and reswelling kinetics showed a two-step profile, corresponding to the solvent molecules being released and absorbed during two processes with different characteristic times.

High strength of hybrid double-network hydrogels imparted by inter-network ionic bonds

Interaction between networks has been proven to be of importance for mechanical property enhancement of double-network (DN) hydrogels.

UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT LCST LEVELS OF POLY(N-ALKYLACRYLAMIDE)S BY MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS AND QUANTUM MECHANICS CALCULATIONS

Poly(N-alkylacrylamide) is a group of thermo-sensitive polymers that include poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(N-n-propylacrylamide), poly(N-isopropylmethacryl-amide), and so on. The polymers exhibit different levels of lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) in aqueous solutions. In this article, their monomers and oligomers with 10 repeating units are selected, respectively, to demonstrate the cause of different LCST levels of the polymers in aqueous solutions using molecular dynamics simulations and quantum mechanics calculations. The monomers have functional groups of different steric volume that greatly affect the conformational transition of chains and LCST levels of the polymers. A branched chain of N-propyl group in N-isopropylacrylamide and an additional methyl group at α-carbon in N-isopropylmethacrylamide both increase the steric effect, making it more difficult for monomers to draw closer and resulting in higher LCST levels of the polymers. In addition, the simulated results from their corresponding oligomers exhibit the similar trend to those from the monomers.

Self-assembly of PEGylated peptide conjugates containing a modified amyloid beta-peptide fragment

The self-assembly of PEGylated peptides containing a modified sequence from the amyloid beta peptide, FFKLVFF, has been studied in aqueous solution. PEG molar masses PEG1k, PEG2k, and PEG10k were used in the conjugates. It is shown that the three FFKLVFF-PEG hybrids form fibrils comprising a FFKLVFF core and a PEG corona. The beta-sheet secondary structure of the peptide is retained in the FFKLVFF fibril core. At sufficiently high concentrations, FFKLVFF-PEG1k and FFKLVFF-PEG2k form a nematic phase, while PEG10k-FFKLVFF exhibits a hexagonal columnar phase. Simultaneous small angle neutron scattering/shear flow experiments were performed to study the shear flow alignment of the nematic and hexagonal liquid crystal phases. On drying, PEG crystallization occurs without disruption of the FFKLVFF beta-sheet structure leading to characteristic peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern and FTIR spectra. The stability of beta-sheet structures was also studied in blends of FFKLVFF-PEG conjugates with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). While PEG crystallization is only observed up to 25% PAA content in the blends, the FFKLVFF beta-sheet structure is retained up to 75% PAA.

On the temperature-responsive polymers and gels based on N-propylacrylamides and N-propylmethacrylamides

We studied the behavior in water of polymers, microgels, and macrogels based on the following four monomers: N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPA), N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NiPMA), N-n-propylacrylamide (NnPA), and N-n-propylmethacrylamide (NnPMA). The thermal phase separation of polymers in water as well as of microgels in the aqueous dispersion was examined by a combination of turbidity measurements and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The hydrodynamic radius of microgels and the swelling degree of macrogels (fine cylindrical bulk gels) were also examined as a function of temperature using the dynamic light scattering and the microscopic method, respectively. It was found that all the polymers prepared are water-soluble and clearly exhibit the phase separation on heating. The phase separation temperature varies depending on the constituent monomers and becomes higher in the order of NiPMA > NiPA > NnPMA > NnPA. The endothermic enthalpy from the heating DSC curves increases in the order of NnPMA > NnPA approximately NiPMA > NiPA. The same trends were observed in the microgels based on NiPA, NiPMA, and NnPA, which were synthesized via chemical cross-linking with N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) (Bis). Although we were unable to synthesize the microgel of NnPMA due to a low water solubility of the monomer, its bulk gel was obtained by gamma-ray irradiation to an aqueous poly(NnPMA) solution at a dose of 10 kGy. An irradiation-cross-linked NiPMA gel was also prepared as a counterpart to the Bis-cross-linked gel. We then studied the gel collapses upon heating by use of the chemically cross-linked gels based on NiPA, NiPMA, and NnPA as well as of the irradiation-cross-linked NnPMA and NiPMA gels. All the gels underwent the collapse transition at a certain temperature which is close to or slightly higher than the phase separation temperature of the corresponding polymer solutions or microgel dispersions. These results indicate that in both the linear and cross-linked polymers there is no difference in the thermally induced interactions between the segments as well as between the segment and the solvent, but these interactions are dependent on the structure of the constituent monomers, i.e., whether the alpha-carbon bears a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and whether the N-propyl group is branched or straight chain. The structure dependence was discussed in terms of amide-amide and amide-water hydrogen bondings as well as of a possible hydrogen bonding of solvent water with the H-C bond of the alkyl groups. Then, water clustering around both the alkyl and the amide groups was considered.

Role of methyl in the phase transition of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide)

Poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PiPMA) has one more methyl group at each monomeric unit than poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PiPA). By use of laser light scattering (LLS) and ultrasensitive differential scanning calorimetry (US-DSC) we have investigated the association and dissociation of PiPMA chains in water. LLS studies reveal that PiPMA chains form larger aggregates at a temperature above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) as the chain molar mass (Mw) decreases. In comparison with PiPA aggregates, PiPMA aggregates show a larger ratio of average radius of gyration to average hydrodynamic radius (<Rg>/<Rh>), indicating that PiPMA aggregates are looser. US-DSC studies show PiPMA chains have smaller enthalpy change (DeltaH) and entropy change (DeltaS) than PiPA chains during the phase transition, indicating that PiPMA chains have smaller conformational change. Our experiments demonstrate that the additional methyl groups in PiPMA chains restrain the intrachain collapse and interchain association, leading the phase transition to occur at a higher temperature.