Using glycidyl methacrylate as cross‐linking agent to prepare thermosensitive hydrogels by a novel one‐step method

Abstract

AbstractA novel one‐step approach is reported to prepare thermosensitive hydrogels simply by using hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD)/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)/N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) system. From GMA and HP‐β‐CD, HP‐β‐CD/GMA inclusion complex was prepared and identified with NMR, FTIR, and UV‐vis spectroscopies. GMA in the form of HP‐β‐CD/GMA complex was copolymerized with NIPAM in water with K2S2O8 as initiator, yielding hydrogels designated as poly(NIPAM‐CD‐GMA). The inclusion of CD in the hydrogels was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The contents of CD and GMA placed considerable influence on the swelling ratio and temperature‐sensitivity of the produced hydrogels. The hydrogels bearing CD moieties showed higher swelling ratio and temperature‐sensitivity when compared with that without CD. The porous structure of the hydrogels containing CD was observed in the SEM images. Relevant mechanism of the ring‐opening reaction of epoxide groups in GMA, the subsequent crosslinking reactions and the formation of hydrogels containing CD moieties were proposed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2193–2201, 2008