Preparation of fast responsive, thermally sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) is a thermally sensitive polymeric material. PNIPA hydrogel has been widely used in many fields and a fast response rate is needed in some practical applications. In this article, a new PNIPA gel was prepared using polyethylene glycol as the pore-forming agent during the polymerization reaction. This PNIPA gel has a significantly large swelling ratio at a temperature below its lower critical solution temperature and exhibits a very fast deswelling rate.