Temperature responsive hydrogel with reactive nanoparticles

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/app.38335/full

Xiao, L., Isner, A. B., Hilt, J. Z. and Bhattacharyya, D. (2012), Temperature responsive hydrogel with reactive nanoparticles. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.. doi: 10.1002/app.38335

Here a hydrogel is used to imobilize Fe and Fe/Pd nanoparticles to be used in antifouling systems (dechlorination). NIPAM hydrogels are copolymerized with acrylic acid so as to capture metal centers. Once metal centers are incorporated by ion echange, the gel is cross linked using a UV initiator and the metal centers are reduced with NaBH4. The swelling characteristics and tricholorethylene reduction of these gels are probed at 30 and 34 °C. According to their results, the gels seem to be more effective at dechlorination at higher temperatures, perhaps due to enhanced TCE-metal center interactions when the NIPAm gel collapses.