open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/79235

Modulation and Characterization of the Double Network Hydrogel Surface-Bulk Transition

英語

2019-09-10

American Chemical Society(ACS)

Macromolecules

52(17)

6704-6713

The hydrogel chemical structure at the gel-solution interface is important toward practical use, especially in tough double network (DN) hydrogels that have promising applications as structural biomaterials. In this work, we regulate the surface chemical structure of DN hydrogels and the surface–bulk transition by the molding substrate used for the synthesis of the second network. To characterize the surface and bulk structure, we combined attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and a newly developed microelectrode technique that probe the electric potential distribution within a hydrogel. We found that the polymerization on a repulsive substrate leads to the formation of a thin layer of a second network on the surface of DN hydrogels, which makes the surface different from the bulk. By controlling the second network polymerization conditions and molding substrate, the surface–bulk transition region can be regulated, so that either only the second network or both networks are present at the DN hydrogel surface. Through these findings, we gained a new insight into the structure formation at the DN hydrogel surface, and this leads to easy regulation of the hydrogel surface structure and properties.

学術雑誌論文

Accepted Manuscript

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Macromolecules, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01399.

0024-9297

1520-5835