Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
We report the synthesis and properties of two different hydrogels based on N-isopropylacrylamide/acrylic acid and copolymers of oligo-ethylene glycol methacrylates incorporating N-Aza crown ethers. Both hydrogels show rapid response to environmental stimuli and their size can be tuned by pH and temperature. Swollen states lead to high adsorption of water and high contact surface area with ions whereas in the collapsed state the material releases water and the ions not selectively retained by the polymer.
Preliminary autoradiography tests show that these materials strongly bind 90Sr and both pH and temperature can be used to fine tune binding selectivity. This results in such materials being promising candidates for use as smart scavenging agents for radioactive decontamination.