Abstract
The authors report a novel thermo-responsive hydrogel design based on the thermallyinduced aggregation of two kinds of nonionic surfactants: triblock copolymer poly(ethyleneoxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) (EPE) and 4-octylphenol polyethoxylate(TX-100). In the preparation of the hydrogel, agarose is used to host the aqueoussurfactant molecules, allowing them to move freely through its intrinsic network structure.To study it, EPE molecules are labeled with fluorescent Rhodamine B, and the aggregationphenomenon under various temperatures is imaged by fluorescence microscopy. Inorder to realize flexible control of the opaque/transparent transition temperature(OTTT), the surfactants’ aggregation is modified by adding ionic surfactant orsalts. The rate of the opaque/transparent transition and applications in the smartwindow and smart roof based on this kinds of hydrogel are also investigated.
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