Preparation and Characterization of Novel Microgels Containing Nano-SiO2 and Copolymeric Hydrogel Based on Poly (Acrylamide) and Poly (Acrylic Acid): Morphological, Structural and Swelling Studies

Tannaz Soltanolzakerin Sorkhabi; Mehrab Fallahi Samberan; Krzysztof Adam Ostrowski; Tomasz M Majka; Marcin Piechaczek; Paulina Zajdel

doi:10.3390/ma15144782

Preparation and Characterization of Novel Microgels Containing Nano-SiO₂ and Copolymeric Hydrogel Based on Poly (Acrylamide) and Poly (Acrylic Acid): Morphological, Structural and Swelling Studies

Materials (Basel). 2022 Jul 8;15(14):4782. doi: 10.3390/ma15144782.

Authors

Tannaz Soltanolzakerin Sorkhabi¹, Mehrab Fallahi Samberan¹, Krzysztof Adam Ostrowski², Tomasz M Majka³, Marcin Piechaczek², Paulina Zajdel²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Ahar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahar P.O. Box 5451116714, Iran.
² Faculty of Civil Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, 24 Warszawska Str., 31-155 Cracow, Poland.
³ Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland.

Abstract

In this paper, novel microgels containing nano-SiO₂ were prepared by in situ copolymerization using nano-SiO₂ particles as a reinforcing agent, nanosilica functional monomer (silane-modified nano-SiO₂) as a structure and morphology director, acrylamide (AAm) as a monomer, acrylic acid (AAc) as a comonomer, potassium persulfate (KPS) as a polymerization initiator, and N,N'-methylene bis (acrylamide) (MBA) as a crosslinker. In addition, a conventional copolymeric hydrogel based on poly (acrylamide/acrylic acid) was synthesized by solution polymerization. The microgel samples, hydrogel and nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A FESEM micrograph of copolymeric hydrogel showed the high porosity and 3D interconnected microstructure. Furthermore, FESEM results demonstrated that when nano-SiO₂ particles were used in the AAm/AAc copolymerization process, the microstructure and morphology of product changed from porous hydrogel to a nanocomposite microgel with cauliflower-like morphology. According to FESEM images, the copolymerization of AAm and AAc monomers with a nanosilica functional monomer or polymerizable nanosilica particle as a seed led to a microgel with core-shell structure and morphology. These results demonstrated that the polymerizable vinyl group on nano-SiO₂ particles have controlled the copolymerization and the product morphology. FTIR analysis showed that the copolymeric chains of polyacrylamide (PAAm) and poly (acrylic acid) (PAAc) were chemically bonded to the surfaces of the nano-SiO₂ particles and silane-modified nano-SiO₂. The particulate character of microgel samples and the existence of long distance among aggregations of particles led to rapid swelling and increasing of porosity and therefore increasing of degree of swelling.

Keywords: copolymer; hydrogel; microgel; nanocomposite; nanosilica.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Cracow University of Technology.