Preparation and Characterization of Poly(acrylic acid)/Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Nanocomposite Microgel

A new kind of semi-interpenetrating polymer network nanocomposite microgel composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) ,poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) and clay was synthesized by a two-step method. First,PNIPA microgel was prepared via surfactant-free emulsion polymerization by using clay as a crosslinker,and then acrylic acid monomer was polymerized within the PNIPA microgel. The structure and morphology of the microgel were confirmed by FT-IR and TEM. The pH and temperature responsive behaviors of these microgels were also investigated. The results indicated that the clay platelets acted as a multifunctional crosslinker. Furthermore,the microgels exhibited good pH and temperature sensitivity,which could respond independently to both pH and temperature changes.