Thermo- and pH-responsive polyelectrolyte complex membranes from chitosan-g-N-isopropylacrylamide and pectin

- Swollen polyelectrolyte complex membranes with chitosan-g-N-isopropylacrylamide undergo a sharp shrinking transition during heating with an inflexion point at 33.1 °C.
- This transition is fully reversible and associated to an endothermic process, the enthalpy of which is proportional to the degree of grafting of NIPAm.
- These membranes also respond to changes in the pH of the medium. The transition enthalpy decreases when pH increases, showing the same trend as the equilibrium swelling.