Characterization of the pore structure of aqueous three-dimensional polyacrylamide gels with a novel cross-linker

The properties of polyacrylamide hydrogels synthesized with a novel hexafun ctional (three double bonds) cross-linker, hexahydro-1,3,5-triacryloyl-s-tr iazine (la), was evaluated and compared to the currently used tetrafunction al (two double bonds) crosslinker N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis). A varie ty of characterization techniques that require very little sample preparati on and data handling were chosen and include polymerization temperature pro files and conversions, water swelling, differential scanning calorimetry (D SC), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), Gradiflow(TM) electrophoret ic separation process and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The alternati ve use of la compared to Bis results in polyacrylamide gels with larger por e sizes and a broad pore size distribution.