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Modulating the Porosity of Cryogels by Influencing the Nonfrozen Liquid Phase through the Addition of Inert Solutes.

Kirsebom, Harald LU ; Topgaard, Daniel LU ; Galaev, Igor LU and Mattiasson, Bo LU (2010) In Langmuir 26(20). p.16129-16133
Abstract
The freezing of monomeric mixtures is known to concentrate solutes in a nonfrozen phase in the area surrounding the ice crystals. The concentration of such solutes is determined by the freezing temperature. Although salts or solvents do not directly react in the polymerization reaction, they do change the composition and properties of the nonfrozen phase. In this study, we investigated the influence of the addition of various salts and solvents on the structure of macroporous hydrogels formed in a semifrozen state through aqueous free-radical polymerization. The change in composition of the nonfrozen phase was studied using NMR to monitor the freezing of water, and the structural changes of the gels were observed using scanning electron... (More)
The freezing of monomeric mixtures is known to concentrate solutes in a nonfrozen phase in the area surrounding the ice crystals. The concentration of such solutes is determined by the freezing temperature. Although salts or solvents do not directly react in the polymerization reaction, they do change the composition and properties of the nonfrozen phase. In this study, we investigated the influence of the addition of various salts and solvents on the structure of macroporous hydrogels formed in a semifrozen state through aqueous free-radical polymerization. The change in composition of the nonfrozen phase was studied using NMR to monitor the freezing of water, and the structural changes of the gels were observed using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the addition of methanol or acetone caused the formation of reaction-induced phase separation polymerization due to cryoconcentration, which caused a significant increase of methanol or acetone in the nonfrozen phase. This resulted in a material with bimodal pore size distribution with pores of 10-80 μm in diameter caused by cryogelation, and with pores in the polymeric matrix with a diameter of less than 1 μm due to the reaction-induced phase separation. Addition of salts to the monomeric mixture resulted in a structure with only pores of 10-80 μm in diameter due to cryogelation. Increasing the amount of salts added resulted in the formation of thicker pore walls and thus a slight reduction in pore size compared to a sample with no added solute. The possibility of changing the structure and properties of the gels by adding different solutes could open up new applications for these materials, for example, chromatography applications. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Langmuir
volume
26
issue
20
pages
16129 - 16133
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • wos:000282936700059
  • pmid:20866108
  • scopus:77957891700
  • pmid:20866108
ISSN
0743-7463
DOI
10.1021/la102917c
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c29f26be-5a67-4c1c-b2a9-55dc1e72eea7 (old id 1687890)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:51:15
date last changed
2022-01-25 17:18:45
@article{c29f26be-5a67-4c1c-b2a9-55dc1e72eea7,
  abstract     = {{The freezing of monomeric mixtures is known to concentrate solutes in a nonfrozen phase in the area surrounding the ice crystals. The concentration of such solutes is determined by the freezing temperature. Although salts or solvents do not directly react in the polymerization reaction, they do change the composition and properties of the nonfrozen phase. In this study, we investigated the influence of the addition of various salts and solvents on the structure of macroporous hydrogels formed in a semifrozen state through aqueous free-radical polymerization. The change in composition of the nonfrozen phase was studied using NMR to monitor the freezing of water, and the structural changes of the gels were observed using scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the addition of methanol or acetone caused the formation of reaction-induced phase separation polymerization due to cryoconcentration, which caused a significant increase of methanol or acetone in the nonfrozen phase. This resulted in a material with bimodal pore size distribution with pores of 10-80 μm in diameter caused by cryogelation, and with pores in the polymeric matrix with a diameter of less than 1 μm due to the reaction-induced phase separation. Addition of salts to the monomeric mixture resulted in a structure with only pores of 10-80 μm in diameter due to cryogelation. Increasing the amount of salts added resulted in the formation of thicker pore walls and thus a slight reduction in pore size compared to a sample with no added solute. The possibility of changing the structure and properties of the gels by adding different solutes could open up new applications for these materials, for example, chromatography applications.}},
  author       = {{Kirsebom, Harald and Topgaard, Daniel and Galaev, Igor and Mattiasson, Bo}},
  issn         = {{0743-7463}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{20}},
  pages        = {{16129--16133}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{Langmuir}},
  title        = {{Modulating the Porosity of Cryogels by Influencing the Nonfrozen Liquid Phase through the Addition of Inert Solutes.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la102917c}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/la102917c}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}