Synthesis and swelling properties of crosslinked poly(AAm-KMA-MA) hydrogels

The crosslinked poly(acrylamide-co-potassium metbacrylate-co-maleic acid) hydrogels, poly(AAmTKMA-MA) were prepared by redox copolymerization in aqueous solution in the presence of a crosslinker NN1-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA). The hydrogels were characterized by IR spectroscopy. The influence of reaction parameters, such as concentration of maleic acid (MA), MBA, ammonium persulfate (APS) and N,N,N-1,N-1-tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TMEDA) on the swelling capacity of hydrogels was studied. The swelling/diffusion characteristics of hydrogels containing different amounts of maleic acid were evaluated. The results suggest that the swelling behaviour improves as the temperature of the swelling medium increases. The water diffusion of hydrogels was investigated to be non-fickian type at room temperature. The morphological studies of the hydrogels were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The swelling behaviour. of hydrogels with respect to pH and salt solutions and simulated biological fluids was investigated in detail.