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In the present study, solvent-based acrylic copolymers were successfully synthesized by solution polymerization using methyl allyl polyethylene glycols ether, acrylic acid, and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate for the fabrication of high-performance pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes. Different techniques (NMR, FTIR, TGA/DTG, Contact Angles, PSAs Test) were used to characterize the physical and thermal properties of the copolymers. The obtained copolymers were investigated as a possible adhesive for permanent or removable applications such as security labels for power equipment, foil tape for HVAC ductwork, automotive interior trim assembly, and sound/vibration dampening films. When the contact angles of the synthesized copolymers were examined, it was observed that while the amount of acrylic acid in the copolymer content was constant, the contact angle increased with the increase in the percentage of HPEG. In addition, while the amount of HPEG was constant in the copolymers, it was observed that the contact angle decreased with the increase in the percentage of acrylic acid. As a result, it was determined that the obtained copolymers showed hydrophilic character and wetted the contact surface. When the thermal properties of the copolymers were examined, while the acrylic acid ratio was constant, the thermal stability increased with increasing HPEG amount. While the HPEG ratio is constant in the copolymer content, the decrease in thermal stability with increasing acrylic acid is thought to be due to decarboxylation. Also, 7% reduction in DTG curves is evidence of decarboxylation of copolymers. According to the results of the pressure-sensitive adhesive test, it was observed that the surface wetting degree of the copolymers changed in direct proportion to the amount of acrylic acid increased and inversely proportional to the amount of HPEG, and the potential of the adhesives obtained in addition to being high-performance pressure sensitive adhesive tapes.

In most carbon dioxide (CO2) capture processes, chemical absorption using an amine solvent is widely used technology; however, the solvent is prone to solvent degradation and solvent loss which leads to the formation of corrosion. This paper investigates the adsorption performance of amine-infused hydrogels (AIFHs) to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) capture by leveraging the potency of amine absorption and adsorption properties of class F fly ash (FA). The solution polymerization method was used to synthesize the FA-grafted acrylic acid/acrylamide hydrogel (FA-AAc/AAm), which was then immersed in monoethanolamine (MEA) to form amine infused hydrogels (AIHs). The prepared FA-AAc/AAm showed dense matrices morphology with no obvious pore at the dry state but capable of capturing up to 0.71 mol/g CO2 at 0.5 wt% FA content, 2 bar pressure, 30 °C reaction temperature, 60 L/min flow rate, and 30 wt% MEA contents. Cumulative adsorption capacity was calculated and Pseudo-first order kinetic model was used to investigate the CO2 adsorption kinetic at different parameters. Remarkably, this FA-AAc/AAm hydrogel is also capable of absorbing liquid activator that was 1000% more than its original weight. FA-AAc/AAm can be used as an alternative AIHs that employ FA waste to capture CO2 and minimize the GHG impact on the environment.

Polymers are versatile compounds which physical and chemical properties can be taken advantage of in wide applications. Particularly, in the biomedical field, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is one of the most used for its high biocompatibility, easy manipulation, thermal, and chemical stability. Nonetheless, its hydrophobic nature makes it susceptible to bacterial pollution, which represents a disadvantage in this field. A potential solution to this is through the graft of stimuli-sensitive polymers that, besides providing hydrophilicity, allow the creation of a drug delivery system. In this research, PDMS was grafted with acrylic acid (AAc) and vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) in two steps using gamma radiation. The resulting material was analyzed by several characterization techniques such as infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), swelling, contact angle, critical pH, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), demonstrating the presence of both polymers onto PDMS films and showing hydrophilic and pH-response properties. Among the performed methods to graft, the loading and release of ciprofloxacin were successful in those samples obtained by direct irradiation method. Furthermore, the antimicrobial assays showed zones of inhibition for microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

To address the rising challenges in self-controlled tandem processes, a catalytic reactor with two reversely-responsive layers was fabricated, for which the two layers acted as the carriers of two different-type active sites so as to achieve the adjustable catalytic ability. This first layer was a shape-memory copolymer consisting of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid and 1-heptene. Given the “frozen” domains in the copolymer at low temperatures, the channel of the substrate became closed. At middle temperatures, the channel of the substrate became open as a result of the activation of the copolymer. The second layer was a copolymer embedding Ag nanoparticles made of polymeric 2-(trifluoromethyl) acrylic acid and 2-vinylpyridine. This layer showed the “closed” channel at low temperatures due to the electrostatic interactions between the two polymeric components, which inhibited the entry of reactants. At higher temperatures, as the polymeric interactions at this layer were broken, the channel in this layer became open for the reactants. In combination with the contained acidic sites and catalytic Ag nanoparticles sites in the two layers, which were individually responsible for catalytic hydrolysis and reduction, the reactor did not show substantive catalytic ability at low temperatures due to the closed channels in both the two layers. At middle temperatures, the reactor ran with simple hydrolysis due to the open channel in the first layer which contained acidic sites. At higher temperatures, the reactor ran with tandem catalytic processes because of the open channels in the two layers. Hence, the design of the dual-responsive catalytic reactor acquired the non-tandem/tandem self-controlled catalytic ability.

A superabsorbent hydrogel (SAH) composite from starch and polyacrylic acid p(St/AAc) was prepared by free radical polymerization in the presence of potassium persulfate initiator. The effects of two polymer composition on gel fraction, swelling, and water retention have been investigated. It was found that swelling was extremely sensitive to the acrylic acid contents; it increased with the decrease of acrylic acid content. Moreover, the hydrogel samples showed an excellent water retention capability. The swelling kinetics and water diffusion mechanism in distilled water were also discussed in order to choose appropriate SAH functioning as soil conditioner of sunflower under drought stress. A pot experiment was carried out to study the ameliorative role of SAH application on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. Var Sakha) plants grown under drought stress. Growth parameters, content of photosynthetic pigments, total proline and phenol, and antioxidant enzymes were determined. The shoot and root length increased up to 49.84% and 5.35% rather than in the absence of SAH. Growth parameters and photosynthetic pigments of sunflower plants grown under drought in the absence of SAH were reduced. Hydrogel application enriched the photosynthetic pigment. Besides, it also decreased the harmful impacts of drought on sunflower plants. The results herein demonstrated that the hydrogel decreased the proline, total phenols, catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase content. The findings of this study indicate that the use of hydrogel can be considered as an unconventional and novel tool in the mitigation of drought stress.

In this study, the impact of particle form of the Cannabis indica plant biofibers and the fiber’s surface tailoring on the physical, thermal, dielectric, and mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester composite specimens manufactured utilizing nonconventional materials were investigated. The mechanical properties such as compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths of the composite specimens were noticed to increase after functionalization of biofiber with acrylic acid and maximum enhancement was found at 20% of biofiber sacking. The physical characterization was concentrated on the assurance of the dielectric constant, dielectric strength, dielectric loss, moisture absorption, chemical resistance, percentage of swelling, limiting oxygen index, and biodegradation of polymer composites under red soil. An increase in dielectric strength from 28 to 29 kV, limiting oxygen index values from 19% to 23%, and moisture/water absorption behavior was noted for resulted bio-composites after surface tailoring of biofiber. To assess the deterioration of the polymeric materials with the temperature, differential scanning calorimetric and the thermogravimetric tests were carried out and enhancement in thermal stability was noted after fortification of polyester composites with functionalized biofiber.

Alkali-oxygen one-bath scouring and bleaching process of the flax roving was studied by using a new type of synthesized non-silicon oxygen bleaching stabilizer Poly(acrylic acid) magnesium instead of sodium silicate. Based on the analysis of the effects of single factors such as sodium hydroxide concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration, temperature, time and the amount of the synthesized non-silicon oxygen bleaching stabilizer poly(acrylic acid) magnesium salt on the performance of the bleached flax roving, including the whiteness, the breaking tenacity, the capillary effect and the weight loss ratio. The optimal process for the application of the stabilizer was determined by orthogonal test, namely, hydrogen peroxide concentration 8.5 g/L, sodium hydroxide concentration 5 g/L, sodium bisulfite 3 g/L, sodium carbonate 3 g/L, the synthesized non-silicon oxygen bleaching stabilizer poly(acrylic acid) magnesium 5.5 g/L, scoured and bleached at 90 °C for 60 min, and the bath ratio was 25:1. Compared with the traditional oxygen bleaching stabilizer sodium silicate, it not only has good ability to inhibit the rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, but also has the advantages of higher whiteness, higher capillary effect, good feel and breaking tenacity, and can effectively solve the "silicon scale" problem and improve the quality of flax products. A novel non-silicon oxygen bleaching stabilizer poly(acrylic acid) magnesium was synthesized and successfully applied to alkali-oxygen one-bath scouring and bleaching process of the flax roving, effectively solving the "silicon scale" problem caused by conventional sodium silicate as stabilizer.

PAA/nHAp was synthesized by solvent casting method and characterized by different techniques. nHAp was homogeneously dispersed in nano-sized in PAA matrix. The thermal properties and glass transiti...

The fast development of Pickering emulsion systems inspires burgeoning demand on the universal synthesis platform for the surface modification of solid particle emulsifiers. In this work, a mild and convenient “visible light–mediated surface grafting through (VSGT)” strategy is proposed. Through the two-step strategy, silica nanoparticles (SNPs) were firstly modified by vinyl alkoxysilane and then used as the substrate for grafting homopolymer brushes via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization under the irradiation of a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) light source. The whole process was proceeded at room temperature without tedious conditions and complex operations. Importantly, simply by changing the monomer types, hydrophilic acrylic polymer chains can all be grafted on SNP with controlled chain length and relatively uniform high surface densities including poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and poly(diacetone acrylamide) (PDAAM). Through the synthesis platform, the interfacial performance of the surface-grafted nanoparticles exhibited as amendable working as Pickering emulsifiers in oil–water system, illustrated by the evolution of interfacial tensions and the inner structures of the corresponding Pickering emulsions. Moreover, the emulsion stabilized by SNP-g-PAA and SNP-g-PNIPAM showed pH and temperature triggered emulsification-demulsification behaviors, respectively, convincing the contribution of the surface grafted polymers and provide a feasible clue for the subtle design on the interfacial texture in advanced Pickering emulsions.

Herein, poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) microgels were synthesized via alcohol type cross-linked by a free radical precipitation polymerization approach. At the first time, 1,6-hexanediol (1–6 diol), trimethylolpropane (TMP), and pentaerythritol (PEN) were selected as multifunctional cross- linking agent to synthesize cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) microgels. Alcohol type cross-linking agents can connect the PAA chains. The cross-linking reaction takes place due to reaction between hydroxyl groups of various cross-linkers and carboxyl groups of PAA chains. All of the hydroxyl groups do not participate in the reaction with acid groups of polymer chains through the polymerization stage; therefore, unreacted hydroxyl groups will react through sample drying (post-curing stage). The influence of cross-linker functionality and its concentration on various properties like swelling capacity, gel content, Tg (glass transition temperature), and rheological behavior were examined. The PAA microgels prepared via this cross-linking approach were compared to properties of microgels synthesized by epoxy type and vinyl type cross-linking agents in the previous studies. As a result, synthesized microgels via novel mechanisms have higher properties (for example, rheological and thermal properties) than that of PAA microgels prepared via the conventional mechanism. These behaviors can be due to decreasing $$\overline{Mc}$$ (average molecular weight of two successive cross-links) in the polymeric network by utilizing new cross-linkers.

For the improvement of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) properties, new series of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-Co-acrylic acid-Co-vanillin acrylate) terpolymer was fabricated with molar concentrations 5, 10, and 15 mol% of acrylic acid (AA) with 10 mol% of vanillin acrylate (VA). Monomer and polymers were chemically evaluated using (1H NMR, 13C, FT-IR, and UV); all structures emphasized logical results. The post-polymerization has been done for terpolymer with tryptophan and threonine; they were chemically investigated. Polymers and post-polymers have been physically characterized using SEM, X-ray, DSC, TGA, and SEM. Lower critical solution temperature was measured using turbidity by UV–VIS spectroscopy and by micro-DSC. These polymers will be used in the post-polymerization of many biomolecules for biomedical applications

In this manuscript, self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels were successfully fabricated with nanocomposite materials based on functional cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). CNCs were firstly extracted from microcrystalline cellulose by a typical and eco-friendly method with choline chloride and oxalic acid dihydrate as deep eutectic solvents. Well-defined poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) was further grafted on the surface of CNCs by surface-initiated activator generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization. After ring-opening reaction of PGMA, CNCs@PGMA-OL nanocomposites with diol functional group were successfully obtained and further implanted into poly(acrylic acid)/guar gum-based self-healing hydrogels by multiple reversible weak interactions. These nanocomposite hydrogels display outstanding self-healing and mechanical strength properties, providing a facile strategy for the design and development CNC-based functional materials.

Loading and release behavior of a cationic dye, namely, safranine-T, through layer-by-layer (LbL) multilayered films of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and single/blend anionic polyelectrolytes (PEs), namely, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS), are described. The growths of PDADMAC/PSS-PAA multilayers and their safranine-T sorption behavior are monitored using the UV-Vis technique and discussed in terms of blend composition of anionic PEs and pH as well as their hydrophilicity and topography. The dye loading and desorption properties of the LbL films prepared from single/blend negatively charged PEs mainly depend on the interactions of PEs and safranine T. Strong interactions between PSS and safranine T result in a higher dye entrapping inside LbL films whereas either PAA-rich or single PAA-based LbL film exhibits larger dye desorption. A higher PSS content in the feed blend composition leads to an observable increase in theta(ave) and surface roughness whereas the use of PAA can yield a flatter surface due to its partially recomposed chain conformational structure at pH 11. Consequently, LbL multilayers obtained from single and blend polyanions can be considered as an encouraging material platform for the controlled release of charged species such as protein, drug, and dye. because of their tunable physicochemical and morphological properties as well as surface wettability.

In this research, the MgO nanoparticles were incorporated into (acrylic acid /polyvinyl alcohol) PAA/PVA hydrogel by using gamma radiation technique at a dose rate of 1.9 kGy/k. The unique properties of MgO nanoparticles as structure, active surface properties, and stability make such nanoparticles have considerable potential as antimicrobial agents in food applications. In spite of known antibacterial activity of MgO NPs, the mechanism of metal oxide nanoparticle action on bacteria is complicated and not fully understood. The PAA/PVA system was mixed with various contents of MgO nanoparticles to prepare its MgO nanocomposite hydrogels. The morphology of the PAA/PVA copolymer hydrogels and their MgO nanocomposites hydrogels was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to prove the surface, bulk change, size, and the formation of MgO nanoparticles. TEM measurement estimated that the average particle size of prepared MgO NPs was 7.13 nm. The swelling properties of the various AAc hydrogels and its MgO nanocomposites hydrogels were also studied. The prepared acrylic acid copolymers and their MgO nanocomposites were examined for applicability as antibacterial material, and the results revealed that hydrogels and MgO nanocomposites hydrogels prepared in this study have higher antibacterial activity toward Staphylococus Aureus (S.a.) than Escherichia Coli (E. Coli). The discovery of novel and efficient nanocomposites may have a potential therapeutic role.

Interaction of the anionic copolymer of acrylic acid and acrylamide with a molar ratio of monomer units of 75 : 25 and poly(N,N′-diallyl-N,N′-dimethylammonium chloride) in aqueous solution is studied. The interaction is accompanied by the formation of a polycomplex stabilized by multiple salt bonds between oppositely charged groups of both polyelectrolytes. A nonstoichiometric polycomplex with a tenfold excess of anionic groups is present in solution in the form of particles with a diameter of about 300 nm; the particles retain their aggregate stability for 30 days. The application of aqueous solutions of individual polymers and the nonstoichiometric polycomplex on the surface of sand with a particle size of 0.15 ± 0.05 mm is associated with the formation of composite polymer-sand coatings. The highest mechanical strength is possessed by coatings with the participation of an anionic copolymer and a polycomplex. For sand and polycomplex coatings, the weight loss during water treatment is 10%, which is lower than that in the case of traditional polyacrylamide soil stabilizer. The polycomplex at a concentration of up to 0.33 wt % does not exhibit toxicity to microorganisms, thereby indicating that the use of a negatively charged polycomplex is promising for obtaining waterproof protective coatings on the surface of sandy soils.

Chitosan graft poly(acrylic acid)/graphite oxide/attapulgite (CTS-g-PAA/GO/APT) composite hydrogel has been synthesized and used to remove rhodamine B (RB) and methyl orange (MO) from aqueous solutions through adsorption. The composite is characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The influence of adsorption conditions, i.e., the content of graphite oxide (GO) and attapulgite (ATP), the initial concentration of dye solutions, the adsorption time, ionic strength, pH values and dosage of the composite, on the adsorption capacities has been studied in detail. It is found that small amount of GO and ATP can improve the adsorption capacities of dyes significantly. Adsorption capacities of RB and MO onto CTS-g-PAA graft copolymer are 36.7 and 56.4 mg/g, respectively, while those onto CTS-g-PAA/GO/APT (GO 0.02 g, APT 0.05 g) composite hydrogel are 92.6 and 186.5 mg/g, respectively. Adsorption isotherms and thermodynamics are discussed. It indicates that the adsorption of RB is in accordance with both the Langmuir and R-P isotherm equations. However, that of MO meets the R-P equation. The adsorption of RB is spontaneous, while that of MO is not. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption of both RB and MO is in accordance with the Lagergren pseudo first-order kinetic model.

Soft-tissue replacements are challenging due to the stringent compliance requirements for the implanted materials in terms of biocompatibility, durability, high wear resistance, low friction, and water content. Acrylate hydrogels are worth considering as soft tissue implants as they can be photocurable and sustain customized shapes through 3D bioprinting. However, acrylate-based hydrogels present weak mechanical properties and significant dimensional changes when immersed in liquids. To address these obstacles, we fabricated double network (DN) hydrogels composed of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BCNFs) by one fast UV photopolymerization step. BCNFs/PAA hydrogels with a 0.5 wt% BCNFs content present an increased stiffness and a lower, non-pH-dependent swelling than PAA hydrogels or PAA hydrogels with cellulose nanocrystals. Besides, BCNFs/PAA hydrogels are biocompatible and can be frozen/thawed. Those characteristics endorse these hybrid hydrogels as potential candidates for vascular and cartilage tissue implants., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the RTI2018-096273-B-I00 and PID2021-122645OB-100 projects, the ‘Severo Ochoa’ Programme for Center of Excellence in R&D (CEX2019-000917), the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017SGR765 grant), and partially by the Ministry of Science Technology and Space of Israel (3-15638). N.M. acknowledges the Ph.D. scholarship (PRE2019-089754) in the framework of the Biotechnology Ph.D. program of the UAB. S.R-S., N.M., A.L. and A.R. participate in the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) interdisciplinary platform for sustainable plastics toward a circular economy (SusPlast) and in the Aerogels COST ACTION (CA 18125), EPNOE network and Red Nanocare RED2018-102469-T. Finally, the authors want to express their gratitude for the technical services of ICMAB and ICN2 (electron microscopy)., With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).

Grafting by pre-irradiation technique is rarely reported in recent literature. In this respect, natural rubber latex (NRL) films and its blends with potato starch (NRL/P.St) were prepared at various compositions using solution casting technique. Pre-irradiated NRL films with gamma radiation at doses from 30 to 100 kGy were grafted with hydrophilic monomers namely, acrylic acid (AAc) and acrylamide (AAm) to enhance NRL hydrophilicity. The grafted films of NRL and NRL/P.St blends were structurally and morphologically characterized by different techniques including FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hydrophilicity properties of grafted films were studied intensively through evaluating water absorption percentage of the grafted films. The water absorption study concluded that NRL and NRL/P.St blend films grafted with acrylamide have higher water affinity than those grafted with acrylic acid monomer. Enhancing the hydrophilicity of NRL and NRL/P.St blend films make it possible to study the biodegradability of the prepared films. Studying the effect of incubation time in soil on the weight loss of samples showed that the biodegradability of NRL-g-AAm and NRL/P.St (70/30)-g-AAm is higher than their counterparts grafted with AAc. The results showed that the microbial activity inside the specimens in the case of grafted NRL films with AAm monomer was accelerated in the first 10 days in soil burial test. Calculation of the weight loss and digital photographs of the films showed significant differences after 90 days of incubation in soil and the films grafted with AAm have higher weight loss than those grafted with AAc.

In this study, Acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), and 16,16-dimethylheptadecan-1-amine (PJM-T) were copolymerized using gamma irradiation with 60Co γ-rays at a dose of 25 KGy to form a novel composite; Poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide/16,16-dimethylheptadecan-1-amine P(AA-co-AM/PJM-T). P(AA-co-AM/PJM-T) is characterized by different physicochemical techniques and used as a sorbent for rare earth elements from monazite. The optimum pH for the sorption process at 25 ℃ is 4.5 and the equilibrium attained at 60 min. Different kinetics and isothermal models is applied. The maximum adsorption capacity is 182.15 ± 3.73 mg g−1 at 25 ℃. The sorption reaction regulates a pseudo 2nd order mechanism and the process is spontaneous.

The aim of the current research work was to fabricate polymeric nexus for controlled delivery of metoprolol tartrate by using free radical polymerization. Polymer (aloe vera, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and meggletose) was crosslinked with monomer (acrylic acid) by using N,N methylene bisacrylamide. Swelling behavior was studied in pH 1.2 and 7.4. Sol gel fraction depicted gel fraction increased with the increase in feed ratio (polymer, monomer, and crosslinker). Optimized formulation was evaluated via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR confirmed compatibility of metoprolol with formulated system. Moreover, pH-dependent swelling was observed, experiencing significant swelling at higher pH. SEM depicted porous architecture which is responsible for swelling, drug loading, and release. Dissolution studies showed percentage drug release was significant in pH 7.4. Hence, the current research work demonstrates sustained delivery of metoprolol by employing varying concentration of polymer, monomer, and crosslinker. These fascinating properties made hydrogel a promising carrier for sustained drug delivery.

This study focuses on the synthesis of poly(e-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCLDA) for the fabrication of micelle-cross-linked sodium AMPS wound dressing hydrogels. The novel synthetic approach of PCLDA is functionalizing a PCL diol with acrylic acid. The influences of varying the PCL diol/AA molar ratio and temperature on the suitable conditions for the synthesis of PCLDA are discussed. The hydrogel was synthesized through micellar copolymerization of sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate (Na-AMPS) as a basic monomer and PCLDA as a hydrophobic association monomer. In this study, an attempt was made to develop new hydrogel wound dressings meant for the release of antibacterial drugs (ciprofloxacin and silver sulfadiazine). The chemical structures, morphology, porosity, and water interaction of the hydrogels were characterized. The hydrogels' swelling ratio and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) showed a high swelling capacity (4688-10753%) and good WVTR (approximately 2000 g·m-2·day-1), which can be controlled through variation of the PCLDA concentration. The mechanical property results confirmed that PCLDA improved the mechanical properties of the hydrogel; the stress increased from 37 to 68 kPa, and the strain increased from 198 to 360% with increasing PCLDA (0-30% wt of Na-AMPS). These hydrogels presented no cytotoxicity based on over 70% cell viability responses (L929 fibroblasts) using an in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Additionally, the drug release mechanism, kinetic models, and antibacterial activity were determined. The results demonstrated that antibiotics were released from the hydrogel with a Fickian diffusion mechanism and antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Based on the results obtained, and bearing in mind that further progress still needs to be made, the fabricated hydrogels show considerable potential for meeting the stringent property requirements of hydrogel wound dressings.

Nanocomposite hydrogels are one of the most important types of biomaterials which can be used in many different applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. Incorporation of nanoparticles within a hydrogel matrix can provide unique characteristics like remote stimulate and improved mechanical strength. In this study, the synthesis of graphene oxide and graphene oxide nanocomposite hydrogel has been studied. Nanocomposite hydrogel was synthesized using carboxymethyl cellulose as a natural base, acrylic acid as a comonomer, graphene oxide as a filler, ammonium persulfate as an initiator, and iron nanoparticles as a crosslinking agent. The effect of reaction variables such as the iron nanoparticles, graphene oxide, ammonium persulfate, and acrylic acid were examined to achieve a hydrogel with maximum absorbency. Doxorubicin, an anti-cancer chemotherapy drug, was loaded into this hydrogel and its release behaviors were examined in the phosphate buffer solutions with different pH values. The structure of the graphene oxide and the optimized hydrogel were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

A set of novel biocompatible aliphatic-aromatic nanocomposites, including numerous acrylic acid-grafted poly(butylene carbonate-co-terephthalate) (g-PBCT) and organically-modified layered zinc phenylphosphonate (m-PPZn), were successfully synthesized via polycondensation and transesterification. A primary covalent linkage was produced between the biocompatible polymer and the inorganic reinforcements. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra demonstrated the successful grafting of acrylic acid into the PBCT (g-PBCT). Both wide-angle X-ray diffraction data and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the g-PBCT polymer matrix was intercalated into the interlayer spacing of the m-PPZn and was chemically interacted with the m-PPZn. The addition of m-PPZn in the g-PBCT matrix significantly improved its storage modulus. A slight increase in thermal stability was observed in all the g-PBCT/m-PPZn composites. Both results are attributed to the presence of covalent bond between g-PBCT and m-PPZn.

As one of the most promising high-performance fibers, it is worthwhile to investigate the dyeing property of thermotropic liquid crystal polyarylate (TLCP) fibers. In this work, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced grafting using the acrylic acid (AAc) method was employed to improve the cationic dyeability of the TLCP fabrics. The TLCP fabrics were firstly immersed in an AAc monomer solution for 24 h, followed with the UV radiation process for grafting polymerization. The results showed that the dyeing performance to C.I. Basic Red 46 of the modified TLCP fabrics was remarkably improved. Through several characterizations, it was found that the AAc-grafted TLCP fibers became more roughened with many pits on the fiber surface, while the crystalline structure of the TLCP fibers was hardly affected. More importantly, carboxyl groups have been successfully introduced onto the TLCP fiber surface, which is the main reason for the good dye uptake. Therefore, this paper provides a simple and efficient way for the improvement of the cationic dyeing property of TLCP fabrics.

A novel pH-responsive magnetic nanosystem was designed and developed for cancer therapy. For this purpose, a well-defined terpolymer was synthesized through the polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) monomer using reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) technique and simultaneous grafting of e-caprolactone (e-CL) monomer via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) approach followed by block copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) monomer via RAFT polymerization method, in order to produce a poly(acrylic acid)-block-[poly(2-oxyethyl methacrylate)-grafted-poly(e-caprolactone)] [PAA-b-(POEMA-g-PCL)]. Afterward, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were synthesized through chemical co-precipitation method, and then incorporated into the developed terpolymer through physical interactions (e.g., electrostatic and hydrogen bonding) via solution mixing approach. The doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox), as an anticancer model drug, loading (LE) and encapsulation (EE) efficiencies of the fabricated magnetic nanosystem were calculated to be 96 ± 5 and 9.65 ± 0.5%, respectively. The drug release study results revealed that the developed drug delivery system (DDS) could be efficiently control the delivery of Dox in response to pH stimuli.

Hydrogels were produced from mixtures of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and acrylic acid (AAc) using γ-radiation at doses of 3, 7, and 10 kGy and the effect of the variation in concentration of AAc within 0%–3% (w/v) on the gelation, swelling, crosslinking, thermal properties, crystallinity, mechanical properties, and surface morphology of the hydrogels were characterized and their adsorptive removal properties for methylene blue (MB) was investigated. The swelling trend was pH-dependent which was dictated by the dominance of two competing factors namely, crosslink density and hydrophilicity. Although thermal analysis showed that the presence of AAc decreased the thermal stability of the hydrogels, SEM images exhibited gradual morphological changes establishing the role of AAc as a crosslinker, and thus increasing the elastic moduli, toughness, and crystallinity of the hydrogels. However, correlation between the characterization results revealed that, in spite of AAc occupying some of the crosslinking sites within PVA–PVP networks, at low concentration (1% w/v), it could not polymerize enough to contribute to the crosslinks. FTIR spectral analysis revealed a possible gelation mechanism along with the points of interaction among the gel-components. MB adsorption capacity of the hydrogels reached a maximum of 117 mg/g following pseudo-second-order kinetics through film diffusion mechanism while the adsorption isotherm resembled most with that of Langmuir.

Poly(acrylic acid) and poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) chains were grafted to polyurethane (PU) using the graft-polymerization method in order to enhance the water compatibility of PU. The grafted chains were ionized into cationic or anionic form depending on the addition of strong acid or base. The grafted polymer chains did not affect the melting, crystallization, and glass transition of the soft segment of PU due to the softness of the chain. The cross-link density and solution viscosity increased due to the linking between the grafted chains, but the slight cross-linking did not disturb the solvation of PU. The slight cross-linking notably enhanced the maximum tensile stress and shape recovery capability, and the water compatibility of PU could be notably enhanced by the grafted ionized chains. Overall, the grafting of ionized polymeric chains onto PU could enhance the hydrophilicity of PU surface, tensile strength, and shape recovery capability.

The objective of the present study was to improve the mucosal adherence of nasal formulations through the application of swellable, microporous drug containing crosslinked hydrogels. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) alone, poly acrylic acid/poly-vinyl-alcohol (PAA/PVA) hydrogels and poly acrylic acid/poly-vinyl-alcohol)/Halloysite nanotubes (PAA/PVA/HNTs) hydrogels were prepared by free-radical polymerization. N–N methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) and ammonium per-sulfate (APS) were used as cross-linker and initiator, respectively. Studies of Diffusion coefficient, swelling, porosity, loading and drug release at various pH medium, mucoadhesive strength and impact on Caco-2 cell viability were conducted. The drug, HNTs and hydrogels were evaluated by FTIR, SEM and XRD. An increase in gel fraction, porosity and drug loading capacity of PAA/PVA/HNTs was observed compare to PAA/PVA hydrogels, which may be due to increased available surface area. The drug loading capacity showed a direct relationship with the HNTs concentration of 25 to 75% in the PAA/PVA/HNTs hydrogels. The presence of carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, aluminum, silicate groups was observed in the FTIR spectrum. The SEM showed a uniform structure of the PAA/PVA hydrogels but became a encrusted like structure in the PAA/PVA/HNTs hydrogels. The PAH2 formulation showed a mucoadhesive strength more than 80% and the cell viability studies did not reveal a significant difference between the control and dispersion of HNTs and PAA/PVA, PAA/PVA/HNTs.

The objective of current study was to fabricate PEG based hydrogels cross linked with monomer i.e. acrylic acid and 2, Acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) in aqueous media. N,N'-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) was used as cross linker while ammonium per sulfate was added in reaction as initiator. Sodium bicarbonate was used as to create pores in hydrogel making the formulations superporous. Ivabradine hydrochloride as model drug was loaded into prepared hydrogel formulation. FTIR confirmed the compatibility of Polyethylene glycol with acrylic acid and AMPS. Thermal stability of PEG based hydrogels was confirmed by DSC and TGA techniques. Prepared hydrogels showed pH dependent swelling behavior. Presence of AMPS caused excellent swelling of hydrogels due to its polyelectrolyte nature while in case of acrylic acid dense cross linking cause comparatively less swelling of acrylic acid based hydrogels. Sol–gel fraction was determined to find out unreacted and uncross linked portion of each formulation. Invitro release study confirmed controlled release of loaded drug from PEG based polymeric matrices. Release kinetics suggested that drug release from hydrogel matrix followed solvent diffusion swelling mechanism.

This research was an attempt to synthesize a series of amphiphilic hydrogels based on different molar ratios of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) and acrylic acid (AA) and investigated the influence of pH, time, temperature, and salinity of water on the swelling behavior of the hydrogels. The swelling kinetic parameters and swelling diffusion were also determined. The synthesis of DMAM/AA hydrogel using N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent and AIBN as initiator was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The swelling results revealed that the hydrogel swelling reduced as a content of AA. Also, it was demonstrated that increasing the pH caused a drastic increment of the equilibrium swelling ratio and the maximum extent (5150%) was reached at pH 14 for sample AHD3 containing 25% AA. The swelling mechanism study showed that for all samples, Fickian diffusion was responsible for water transport as well as the swelling process was considerably influenced by the chemical structure of the monomer repeating units in the synthesized samples. The swelling study of the hydrogel in the aqueous solution of NaCl and Na2SO4 showed that increasing the salt concentration caused in limitation of water absorption. Also, the swelling degree in the aqueous solution of Na2So4 was slightly higher than NaCl. It was also shown that the increase in temperature of the swelling process led to enhancement of swelling ratio in distilled water.

Glycerol is one of the major residues obtained during biodiesel transesterification. Microfibrillated cellulose was obtained from the empty bunches of palm oil, which is a residue of biomass extracted oil. Therefore, the objective of this work is to apply two important residues of oil chemistry industry, glycerol and lignocellulose biomass, in addition to acrylic acid to synthesize a polymer matrix in form of hydrogel for water absorption applications. To produce the polymer matrix, glycerol was modified with acrylic acid to obtain n-acylglycerol macromonomer with different reactive groups. The solution polymerizations were carried out between n-acylglycerol macromonomer, acrylic acid and bis-acrylamide in presence of microfibrillated cellulose (obtained from empty bunches of palm oil) to obtain hydrogels. The final material presented a high capacity of swelling water. The best material considering the swelling water contained 25 wt% of acrylic acid and 5 wt% of cellulose microfiber and absorbed 1400% of its own weight when produced in the optimized condition.

In this work, hydrogels with antimicrobial activity based on the polysaccharide maltodextrin (MD) were prepared by copolymerization with either acrylic acid (AAc) or acrylamide (AAm) to endow chemi...

Oil shale semicoke (SC), which generated during the production of shale oil has attracted much attention in agriculture recently, as the composition of organic matter, clay mineral and else. In this study, a novel superabsorbent composite of poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide)/semicoke (P(AA-co-AM)/SC) was prepared by polymerization of the acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM) via a convenient one-step reaction as the presence of SC. The characterization of FTIR, SEM, XPS and TG indicated that the successful polymerization and the SC had participated into the construction of 3D polymeric network in superabsorbent. The performance testing results showed that the superabsorbent composites exhibited the excellent water absorbency, favorable water retention properties, fast swelling rate, and nice water reusability. And a 10% of SC amount could improve the water absorbency to 643.13 g/g and 79.82 g/g in distilled water and 0.9% NaCl solution, respectively. The potted culture experiments revealed that the increased water retaining capacity of soil and obvious growth promoting effect for crop. In a word, the novel superabsorbent composite could be as a potential water-saving product used in the agriculture, and the approach reported in this work also can be as a new pathway for high value using of SC via a sustainable chemical engineering process.

The resin melamine cyanurate (MCA) core-shell microcapsules were prepared by surface coatingmodification of halogen-free flame retardant MCA using melamine resin and acrylic resin as wall materials. The influence of different wall materials on the coating effect of halogen-free flame retardant MCA was studied by SEM, particle size analysis, IR, and DSC and TGA methods. The results showed that the melamine resin had a high degree of polymerization and decomposed at about 160°, which had a surface modification effect on MCA and did not affect its flame retardant performance. The surface coating rate of poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA-MCA core-shell microcapsules was about 80%. Afteradding acrylic acid (AA) as the second monomer the coating effect was significantly improved and the thermal decomposition temperature of the wall material of the microcapsule was reduced.

In order to impart good application performance to locust bean gum (LBG) sizes for polyester yarns, methyl acrylate (MA) and acrylic acid (AA) monomers with a variation in feed molar ratio from 1/9...

Two poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/graphene oxide nanocomposite systems, characterized by the same graphene oxide (GO) weight fraction (13.5 wt %) but with different sizes of nanoflakes, are studied by m...

Synthesis of novel semi-interpenetrating poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/gum arabic (AG)/ZnO hydrogels by in situ free radical polymerization was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The reaction variables were the molar ratio of the cross-linking agent (X1), the weight percentage of gum arabic (AG) (X2) as the reaction medium, and the amount of ZnO (X3), each of which was considered at five levels. The evaluated responses in RSM based on the central composite design (CCD) were the formation of samples (Y1), swelling ratio (Y2), conversion (Y3), and percentage of networking (Y4). Zinc oxide particles (ZnO) were prepared through a cost-effective and safe method based on the mixing of zinc acetate solution, ammonia solution, and sodium hydroxide into a microwave oven. The synthesized ZnO particles and prepared semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPNs) were evaluated by energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Synthesized samples based on RSM showed that hydrogels with less than 0.75 g of gum do not have suitable desirability. Also, the confirmation of the appropriate amount of cross-linking agent in hydrogels is between 10 and 16 (mol %), and more than this amount, the desirability of the responses decreases sharply. The results showed that increasing the amount of GA, as a biological macromolecule, significantly improves hydrogel formation, swelling rate, conversion, and networking of semi-IPNs which for the sample proposed by RSM were 1, 245%, 86%, and 94.5%, respectively.

In this investigation, we decided to prepare efficient aerogel for loading and releasing drug in vitro situation. Here we introduced the synthesis of gelatin-based cross-linking poly vinyl acetate/acrylic acid aerogel and nanoclay aerogel, which synthesized by free radical condition and called gelatin-g-VA–AA (A) and gelating-VA–AA/MMT (B), respectively, and they were used them for drug delivery of diltiazem. The synthesized aerogels were completely identified by FTIR, TGA, DTG, SEM, TEM, XRD that showed nanocomposites size with about 40–70 nm, highly uniform porous surface and with high temperature stability. In addition, drug delivery activities of aerogels were tested in saline solution, temperature, the percentage of nanoclay and time effect. Moreover, pH sensitivity of aerogels was investigated for characterization of drug loading and drug releasing amounts at different pHs, distilled water and buffers to determine the best condition for each situation which results illustrated the universal buffer at pH 5 and 7 for drug loading and pH 7 and 10 for drug releasing had the least interaction with aerogels and nano-aerogel, respectively.

This work explores the complex interplay between slurry aggregation, agglomeration, and conformation (i.e., shape) of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)- and lithiated PAA-based silicon slurries as a functio...

We investigate the effect of the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) carrier polymer concentration on the microstructure and rheological properties of catalyst inks for electrospun polymer–electrolyte membran...

Monodisperse polystyrene microspheres with different functional groups have important applications in both the medical and analytical fields. In this study, we prepared monodisperse microspheres with sulfonic acid or carboxyl groups using soap-free emulsion polymerization (SFEP) with potassium persulfate as the initiator. A series of monodisperse polystyrene microspheres with sizes between 100 and 500 nm were successfully prepared by copolymerizing different types of ionic monomers at different concentrations. The microspheres were characterized by using dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential measurements (ZP), FT-IR spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mechanism of the particle nucleation and growth were studied by combining the changes in particle size and the number of particles. The results showed that the addition of hydrophilic comonomers like sodium p-styrene sulfonate, acrylic acid, and methacrylic acid significantly improved the stability of the polystyrene microspheres and promoted particle nucleation, resulting in less particle aggregation and microspheres with smaller sizes.