Multilayer hydrogels with pH-responsive swelling and surface wettability

• Main Authors: KHARLAMPIEVA EUGENIA P, CROPEK DONALD, ARCIBAL IMEE, KOZIOVSKAYA VERONIKA, WANG YUN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.07.2015
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; CHEMISTRY; COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES ORLACQUERS; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; CORRECTING FLUIDS; DYES; FILLING PASTES; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INKS; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PAINTS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POLISHES; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TRANSPORTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR; WOODSTAINS

A novel type of ultrathin cationic hydrogel coatings are provided that have high, quick and reversible swelling/shrinkage transitions and surface wettability in response to pH changes. The poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVP) hydrogel films are produced by selective cross-linking of PVP copolymers in layer-by-layer (LbL) films assembled by spin-assisted method. These multilayer hydrogels exhibit drastic and reversible 10-fold swelling when the pH is changed from neutral to acidic. The swelling amplitude of these coatings is controlled by varying cross-link densities within the films. The pH-responsive hydrogels open new prospects for developing "intelligent" materials with sharp stimuli-triggered responses for applications in sensing, transport regulation, and self-cleaning coatings.