Loading...
Chain-Extendable Crosslinked Hydrogels Using Branching RAFT Modification
Rimmer, Stephen Spencer, P. Sweeney, John Harrison, M.
Rimmer, Stephen
Spencer, P.
Sweeney, John
Harrison, M.
Publication Date
17/03/2023
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
(c) 2023 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
openAccess
Accepted for publication
13/03/2023
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Abstract
Functional crosslinked hydrogels were prepared from 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and acrylic acid (AA). The acid monomer was incorporated both via copolymerization and chain extension of a branching, reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer agent incorporated into the crosslinked polymer gel. The hydrogels were intolerant to high levels of acidic copolymerization as the acrylic acid weakened the ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinked network. Hydrogels made from HEMA, EGDMA and a branching RAFT agent provide the network with loose-chain end functionality that can be retained for subsequent chain extension. Traditional methods of surface functionalization have the downside of potentially creating a high volume of homopolymerization in the solution. Branching RAFT comonomers act as versatile anchor sites by which additional polymerization chain extension reactions can be carried out. Acrylic acid grafted onto HEMA–EGDMA hydrogels showed higher mechanical strength than the equivalent statistical copolymer networks and was shown to have functionality as an electrostatic binder of cationic flocculants.
Version
Published version
Citation
Rimmer S, Spencer P, Nocita D et al (2023) Chain-Extendable Crosslinked Hydrogels Using Branching RAFT Modification. Gels (Basel, Switzerland). 9(3): 235.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article