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Comparative rheological study of ionic semi-IPN composite hydrogels based on polyacrylamide and dextran sulphate and of polyacrylamide hydrogels

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Abstract

Ionic semi-interpenetrating polymer networks composite hydrogels were synthesized by free-radical polymerization using dextran sulphate (DxS), acrylamide as monomer and N,N′-methylene(bis)acrylamide as cross-linking agent. The viscoelastic properties of these composite hydrogels were investigated by oscillatory shear measurements under small deformation conditions comparative with those of polyacrylamide gels. Changes of the rheological properties of composite hydrogels have been studied in terms of polymerization temperature, cross-linker ratio, initial monomer concentration and molar mass of DxS. The results showed that the stability of the composite hydrogels obtained at room temperature (22 °C) was relatively low because the storage modulus (G′) was only eight times higher than the loss modulus (G″), while for those obtained by cryopolymerization (−18 °C), the stability was improved, the G′ values being about 30 times higher than those of G″. This behaviour indicated that, by conducting the synthesis of hydrogels below the freezing point of the reaction solutions, an enhancement of the hydrogels elasticity was achieved. The network parameters, i.e. the average molecular weight between two cross-links and the cross-link density of the composite hydrogels prepared at −18 °C, were estimated from rheological data.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support of this research by the European Social Fund—“Cristofor I. Simionescu” Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (ID POSDRU/89/1.5/S/55216), Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007–2013 is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley 41A, 700487, Iasi, Romania

    Maria Valentina Dinu, Ionel Adrian Dinu & Ecaterina Stela Drăgan

  2. Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e. V., Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany

    Simona Schwarz

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  1. Maria Valentina Dinu
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  2. Simona Schwarz
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  4. Ecaterina Stela Drăgan
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Correspondence to Ecaterina Stela Drăgan.

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Dinu, M.V., Schwarz, S., Dinu, I.A. et al. Comparative rheological study of ionic semi-IPN composite hydrogels based on polyacrylamide and dextran sulphate and of polyacrylamide hydrogels. Colloid Polym Sci 290, 1647–1657 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-012-2699-6

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