PREDICTIONS OF THERMOREVERSIBLE VOLUME PHASE-TRANSITIONS IN COPOLYMERGELS BY LATTICE-FLUID-HYDROGEN-BOND THEORY

Citation
Ak. Lele et al., PREDICTIONS OF THERMOREVERSIBLE VOLUME PHASE-TRANSITIONS IN COPOLYMERGELS BY LATTICE-FLUID-HYDROGEN-BOND THEORY, The Journal of chemical physics, 106(11), 1997, pp. 4768-4772
Citations number
10
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
ISSN journal
00219606
Volume
106
Issue
11
Year of publication
1997
Pages
4768 - 4772
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-9606(1997)106:11<4768:POTVPI>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
Certain copolymeric hydrogels such as poly(N-ispropylacrylamide)/poly( acrylic acid) show first-order volume phase transition on heating. By using the lattice-fluid-hydrogen-bond theory we have shown earlier tha t both hydrogen bonding interactions and hydrophobic interactions are responsible for this behavior in homopolymer gels. In this paper we de monstrate that the transition temperature of copolymer gels can be var ied by changing the ratio of the two monomer concentrations in the cop olymerization and also by slightly varying the hydrophobic nature of t he gels. Thus it might be possible to ''tailor-make'' gels with desire d transition temperatures. Such gels can find novel applications in bi otechnology, soft robotics, separations, and sensors. (C) 1997 America n Institute of Physics.