3-Mercaptopropionic Acid-Ce(IV) Redox Couple for Preparing Cross-Linked Gels with Moderate Swelling Ratios

• Published in: Advances in polymer technology Vol. 32; no. S1; pp. E241 - E248
• Main Authors: Oezeroglu, Cemal, Oezduganci, Ceyda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.03.2013
• Subjects: Acrylamide; Amides; Crosslinking; Hydrogels; Joining; N′-Methylene bis(acrylamide); On-line systems; Polymerization; Redox polymers; Reproduction; Swelling; Swelling ratio
• ISSN: 0730-6679; 1098-2329
• DOI: 10.1002/adv.21270

3‐Mercaptopropionic acid–Ce(IV) redox couple has been demonstrated to be useful for cross‐linking polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) with N,N′‐methylene bis(acrylamide) (MBAA). Effects of the cross‐linker ratio, acid concentration, and Ce(IV) molar ratios on swelling behavior of the resulting hydrogels have been studied. These experiments show that increasing cross‐linker content has greatly reduced the equilibrium swelling ratios as expected. Interestingly, the increase in the Ce(IV) concentration (nCe(IV)=nMPA) has resulted in a decrease in the swelling ratio. Because the thiol group in 3‐mercaptosuccinic acid acts as a cross‐linking agent, more cross‐linking occurs with an increase in the Ce(IV) concentration and Ce(III) forming in the cross‐linking polymerization reaction of AAm with MBAA may provide the formation of intermolecular complexes between amide groups in polymer chains; the swelling equilibrium ratio and swelling rate decrease with an increase in their concentrations in the cross‐linking polymerization reaction of AAm with MBAA. Kinetics and equilibrium swelling values have been discussed in terms of reaction parameters. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 32: E241–E248, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21270