A new cationic surfactant N,N′-dimethyl-N-acryloyloxyundecyl piperazinium bromide and its pH-sensitive gels by microemulsion polymerisation

A piperazine-based cationic surfactant, N,N′-dimethyl-N-acryloyloxyundecyl piperazinium bromide (DAOUPB) was synthesised by a two-step procedure. The monomer was polymerised in two new microemulsion systems: (i) DAOUPB/water/methyl methacrylate (MMA):hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and (ii) DAOUPB/water/acrylonitrile with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agent. Transparent solid polymeric materials were obtained by photo-initiated polymerisation of some of these microemulsion compositions. Most of the bicontinuous microemulsions investigated gelled within 10 min resulting in transparent solid polymers. The electron micrographs of the polymers obtained from microemulsion compositions containing MMA:HEMA did not show any micropores, while those obtained using acrylonitrile revealed the existence of open-cell type micropores and also of the bicontinuous nature of the system. The width of the bicontinuous structure (micropores) was about 33 nm in the dry state, with long and winding channels of random distribution. The swelling of the gels was highly sensitive to pH.