Preparation and performance of thermosensitive poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels by frontal photopolymerization

Abstract In this study, frontal photopolymerization was applied to the fabrication of thermosensitive poly( N ‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) hydrogels. The influence of experimental conditions and reactant components on the feature of the polymerization front was investigated. The morphology of the samples indicated the successful preparation of PNIPAm hydrogels. The mechanical properties and thermal stability of the obtained hydrogels are discussed. The results indicated that the performance of the hydrogels is related to their microstructure and the type of crosslinkers. The swelling behavior and drug delivery ability were determined under different temperature conditions. The hydrogels exhibit a classical thermoresponsive behavior, which was also demonstrated by the DSC results. Therefore, frontal photopolymerization can be an alternative method for the preparation of PNIPAm hydrogels under mild conditions. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry