Synthesis and characteristic of the thermo- and pH-sensitive hydrogel and microporous hydrogel induced by the NP-10 aqueous two-phase system

A series of novel thermo- and pH-sensitive (NP10-AA TPS) hydrogels and microporous (NP10-AA MP) hydrogels, inducing by polyoxyethylene (10) nonyl phenyl ether (NP-10) aqueous two-phase system, was designed and fabricated with acrylic acid (AA) as the monomer for the first time. The resultant NP10-AA TPS hydrogel, compared with the traditional TPS hydrogel, was more advanced in both of the high swelling ratio and the variable lower critical solution temperature (LCST). A simple synthesis technique of the NP10-AA MP hydrogel was developed. The thermo-sensitivity of the NP10-AA TPS hydrogel including the initial swelling ratio, LCST, dehydrated efficiency, was depended strongly on the crosslinker (MBA), initiator (APS), NP-10 and AA concentration. The swelling rate of the NP10-AA MP hydrogel was much higher than that of AA hydrogel dehydrated in the same lyophilization condition.