Electrical characterizations of smart hydrogel based on chitosan/poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) in NaCl solutions

摘要

Temperature- and pH-responsive semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN) hydrogels, constructed with chitosan (CS) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), were studied. The characterizations of the IPN hydrogels were investigated by swelling tests and bending experiments, under various conditions. When the swollen IPN hydrogel was placed between a pair of electrodes it exhibited bending behavior on the application of an electric field, which showed stepwise bending behavior depending on the magnitude of the electrical stimulus. In order to clarify the relationship between the equilibrium swelling ratio and bending behavior of the SIPN hydrogels, the state of water in the SIPN hydrogel was also investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).