A study of hydrogel thermal-dynamics using Fourier transform infrared spectrometer

A rapid and reliable method was presented for studying hydrogel dynamics/kinetics. Two temperature-sensitive hydrogels, poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (poly(NIPAAm)) and the copolymer of N,N-diethylacrylamide and sodium methacrylate (molar ratio=97:3, poly(NDEAAm-co-MAA)) were synthesized. The thermal-behaviors of the gels were studied through the absorbance intensities of both swollen water and gel frame components, and the peak positions of amide band along heating/cooling pathways under dynamic Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) probing. The results showed that the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of poly(NIPAAm) is about 33-35 °C, which is consistent with reported value of ∼34 °C. Compared to poly(NIPAAm), poly(NDEAAm-co-MAA) has relatively continuous volume phase transition, starting at ∼35 °C and a better thermal-reversibility with similar swelling and deswelling profiles over a larger temperature range (10-80 °C for poly(NDEAAm-co-MAA) vs. 10-33 °C for poly(NIPAAm)). The H-bonding water along phase transition was also studied, showing a less reversibility of poly(NIPAAm) compared to poly(NDEAAm-co-MAA). In addition, FTIR spectrometer was also used to study the volume changes of poly(NDEAAm-co-MAA) under variations in environmental salinity.