Effect of surfactant on porosity and swelling behaviors of guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite superabsorbent hydrogels

Novel fast-swelling porous guar gum-g-poly(sodium acrylate-co-styrene)/attapulgite (GG-g-P(NaA-co-St)/APT) superabsorbent hydrogels were prepared by simultaneous free-radical graft copolymerization reaction of guar gum (GG), partially neutralized AA (NaA), styrene (St) and attapulgite (APT) using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator in aqueous solution and the surfactant self-assembling templating pore-forming technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the surfactant could be removed from the final hydrogel product by methanol/water (8:1, v/v) washing process and the surfactant only act as micelle template to form pores. The effect of surfactant type on the porous microstructure of the hydrogel was assessed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). It was shown that incorporation of proper amount of anionic surfactant sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the gelling process of the hydrogel can obviously enhance the swelling capacity and initial swelling rate. The salt-sensitivity of the SDS-added hydrogel in distilled water and 15 mmol/L NaCl, CaCl2 solution or 15 mmol/L NaCl and CaCl2 solution was investigated, and it was found that the swelling–deswelling capability is quite reversible. A similar reproducible on–off switching behavior was observed in the 1 mmol/L solution of phosphate buffer at pH 2.1 and 7.4.