Macroporous gels with fast response prepared by e-beam crosslinking of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) solution

Macroporous temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) gels exhibiting fast response rates were obtained by electron beam irradiation of aqueous polymer solutions. The effect of polymer concentration, irradiation temperature and dose, as well as addition of crosslinker was studied. The gels synthesized above the critical temperature from 20 wt.% polymer solution without crosslinker exhibited the highest equilibrium swelling and fastest response rate measured by seconds. The gels show reversible response to cyclical changes in temperature and might be used as actuators or pulsed drug release.