Abstract
Three kinds of photosensitive and two kinds of photo/pH-sensitive polymerizable azobenzene-containing monomers were designed and synthesized. Three thermo/light dual-responsive and two thermo/light/pH triple-responsive copolymer hydrogels were prepared via copolymerization of those new azobenzene-containing monomers, N-isopropylacrylamide, and a crosslinker. The properties of those hydrogels were researched carefully by UV–Vis absorption spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and gravimetry. It was found that the molecular structure, i.e., the methylene chain length, quaternary ammonium group and carboxyl group of azobenzene-containing monomers, had an important influence on the UV light response rate, phase transition and swelling ability of the copolymer hydrogel. Three hydrogels with good overall performances were screened, i.e., GelNDEP, GelNAEP0.01 and GelNAP0.01, which should be used as carriers in later studies. Analysing the influence of the molecular structure will help to fine-tune such a copolymer gel to a desired state, which is very important from an applications point of view.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Imran AB, Seki T, Takeoka Y (2010) Functional polymers: recent advances in hydrogels in terms of fast stimuli responsiveness and superior mechanical performance. Polym J 42:839–851
Fujii S, Suzaki M, Yusa S, Muraoka M, Nakamura Y (2009) Synthesis of stimuli-responsive macroazoinitiators and their use as an inistab toward hairy polymer latex particles. J Polym Sci Part A Polym Chem 47:3431–3443
Dobrynin AV, Rubinstein M (2005) Theory of polyelectrolytes in solutions and at surfaces. Prog Polym Sci 30:1049–1118
Kawaguchi H (2014) Thermoresponsive microhydrogels: preparation, properties and applications. Polym Int 63:925–932
Becer CR, Hahn S, Fijten MWM, Thijs HML (2008) Libraries of methacrylic acid and oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate copolymers with LCST behavior. J Polym Sci A Polym Chem 46:7138–7147
Alexander C, Shakesheff KM (2006) Responsive polymers at the biology/materials science interface. Adv Mater 18:3321–3328
Maya S, Sarmento B, Nair A, Rejinold NS, Nair SV, Jayakumar R (2013) Smart stimuli sensitive nanogels in cancer drug delivery and imaging: a review. Current pharmaceutical desin 19:7203–7218
Irie M (1990) Properties and application of photoresponsive polymers. Pure Appl Chem 62:1495–1502
Gong CB, Wong KL, Lam Michael HW (2008) Photoresponsive molecularly imprinted hydrogels for the photoregulated release and uptake of pharmaceuticals in the aqueous media. Chem Mater 20:1353–1358
Nayak S, Lyon LA (2004) Photoinduced phase transitions in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels. Chem Mater 16:2623–2627
Kameda M, Sumaru K, Kanamori T, Shinbo T (2004) Probing the dielectric environment surrounding poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in aqueous solution with covalently attached spirobenzopyran. Langmuir 20:9315–9319
Rack JJ (2009) Electron transfer triggered sulfoxide isomerization in ruthenium and osmium complexes. Coord Chem Rev 253:78–85
Bandara HMD, Burdette SC (2012) Photoisomerization in different classes of azobenzene. Chem Soc Rev 41:1809–1825
Guan Y, Zhao HB, Yu LX (2014) Multi-stimuli sensitive supramolecular hydrogel formed by host-guest interaction between PNIPAM-Azo and cyclodextrin dimmers. RSC Adv 4:4955–4959
Klaikherd A, Nagamani C, Thayumanavan S (2009) Multi-stimuli sensitive amphiphilic block copolymer assemblies. J Am Chem Soc 131:4830–4838
Ganta S, Devalapally H, Shahiwala A, Amiji M (2008) A review of stimuli-responsive nanocarriers for drug and gene delivery. J Control Release 126:187–204
Qiu XY, Hu SW (2013) “Smart” materials based on cellulose: a review of the preparations, properties, and applications. Materials 6:738–781
Li LX, Xing XD, Liu ZL (2013) Triply-responsive (thermo/light/pH) copolymeric hydrogel of N-isopropyl-acrylamide with an azobenzene-containing monomer. J Appl Polym Sci 124:1128–1136
Li LX, Liu ZL, Xing XD, Pi JM (2012) Synthesis and properties of with temperature and light sensitivities P(NIPAm-co-DMAE-EAPB) hydrogel. J Jiangsu Univ 33:696–700
East AJ, Madison NJ (1981) Anisotropic wholly aromatic polymer derived from 4-hydroxy-4′-carboxy azobenzene and process for preparation. US Patent, 428582 A.
Chen L, Li SG, Zhao YP, Wang YC, Wang QW (2005) Photoresponses and pH responses of hydrogels composed of acrylamido azobenzene and acrylic acid. J Appl Polym Sci 96:2163–2167
Zhang YX, Pei SH, Wang YP, Cui ZD, Li N, Zhu Y, Zhang HB, Jiang ZH (2013) Synthesis, characterization, and photoresponsive behavior of a series of azobenzene-containing side-chain poly(ether sulfone)s with various lengths of flexible spacers. Dyes Pigments 99:1117–1123
Angiolini L, Caretti D, Giorgini L, Salatelli E, Altomare A, Carlini C, Solaro R (2000) Optically active polymethacrylates with side-chain l-lactic acid residues connected to push–pull azobenzene chromophores. Polymer 41:4767–4780
Janus K, Sworakowski J (2005) Photochromism of crown ethers with Incorporated azobenzene Moiety. J Phys Chem B 109:93–101
Ross DL, Blanc J (1971) In: Brown GH (ed) Photochromism. Eiley-Interscience, New York, Chapter 5
Lee WF, Lin YH (2006) Swelling behavior and drug release of NIPAAm/PEGMEA copolymeric hydrogels with different crosslinkers. J Mater Sci 41:7333–7340
Xiao XC, Chu LY, Chen WM, Zhu JH (2005) Monodispersed the thermoresponsive hydrogel microspheres with a volume phase transition driven by hydrogen bonding. Polymer 46:3199–3209
Shin BC, Kim SS, Ko JK (2003) Gradual phase transition of poly(N-isopropylamide-co-acrylic)gel induced by electric current. Eur Polym J 39:579–584
Wang XQ, Liu XY, Wang XG (2014) Hydrogel diffraction grating as sensor: a tool for studying volume phase transition of thermo-responsive hydrogel. Sensors Actuators B Chem. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2014.08.013
Feil H, Bae YH, Jan FJ, Kim SW (1993) Effect of comonomer hydrophilicity and ionization on the lower critical solution temperature of N-isopropylacrylamide copolymers. Macromolecules 26:2496–2500
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a grant (13JDG110) from the Scientific Research Foundation for the high-ranking talent of Jiangsu University and the Jiangsu Postdoctoral Science Foundation (1402072B).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOC 1774 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, L., Lu, B., Zhang, Y. et al. Multi-sensitive copolymer hydrogels of N-isopropylacrylamide with several polymerizable azobenzene-containing monomers. J Polym Res 22, 176 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-015-0787-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-015-0787-2