Preparation of multifunctional hydrogels with pore channels using agarose sacrificial templates and its applications

Abstract

Smart hydrogel has been widely studied due to their unique response characteristics. Although many smart hydrogels have been developed, the preparation of high‐performance and multi‐responsive smart hydrogels remains a challenge. The application of developing new materials is also the valuable embodiment of materials, such as temperature sensors, thermal switches and anionic dye adsorption. In this study, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel with pore channels was prepared using agarose as a sacrificial template, and a polyaniline network structure was introduced into hydrogel pore channels to endow the hydrogels with stable conductivity. This point can be confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy images of hydrogels. The decomposition temperature of hydrogels characterized by thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal response analysis and electrical performance testing found that PNIPAM hydrogel with pore channels exhibited enhanced temperature‐responsive swelling‐shrinkage properties and high conductivity (1.83 S m−1). Based on this unique property, we demonstrated the application of materials in thermal switching (response temperature ~33°C) and can be potentially applied to the temperature sensor and anionic dye adsorption.

Functional Materials Made by Combining Hydrogels (Cross-Linked Polyacrylamides) and Conducting Polymers (Polyanilines)—A Critical Review

“…Karbarz et al polymerized aniline at the pore surface by loading APS in the hydrogel and filling the pores with a solution of aniline in nitrobenzene [ 75 ]. While cPAM hydrogels with macropores (“superporous” hydrogels) are usually produced by cryogelation, Mao et al used a porous agarose hydrogel as sacrificial template to produce pores [ 76 ]. Then, ISP was used to incorporate PANI in the walls of the macropores, making the material electrically conductive.…”

Supramolecular polymer/peptide hybrid hydrogels with tunable stiffness mediated by interchain acid-amide hydrogen bonds

“…These experiments suggest that PFB-FFD has a strong affinity toward the polymeric network. 32 Analysis of the molecular interactions between the amideamide and acid-amide functional groups was performed to identify the origin of the crosslinking mechanism in DN hydrogels. 33 The amide-amide groups are capable of forming an eight-membered ring structure with two H-bonds (Fig.…”

Microgel‐Crosslinked Thermo‐Responsive Hydrogel Actuators with High Mechanical Properties and Rapid Response

“…[16] This drawback greatly constrains the applicability of thermo-responsive PNIPAM hydrogel devices. Strategies such as construction of comb-type architectures, [17] pore channels, [18] and nanocomposite structures [19] have been proposed to improve the response rate of PNIPAM hydrogels. On the other hand, tough PNIPAM hydrogels via strategies including composition of nanogels, [20] formation of interpenetrating polymer network, [21] double network, [22] and slide ring structure [23] have been developed.…”