Tuning of Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) of Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-Acrylic acid) Hydrogels

Temperature-responsive hydrogel with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) close to human body temperature was prepared. Crosslinked N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylic acid (AAc) copolymer networks were synthesized at various monomer ratios in the presence of ammonium persulfate (APS), N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) via a redox polymerization method. The resulting hydrogels possessed thermo- and pH-responsive characteristics. They were characterized in terms of swelling ratio, volume change, water uptake and diffusivity, water vapor uptake and diffusivity, and phase transition temperature. The water liquid and vapor diffusion coefficients for all the synthesized hydrogels were higher than the literature data, implying higher rates for drug release. The LCST of the hydrogel increased with higher AAc content in the copolymer. The gel containing 1.8% AAc exhibited an LCST similar to human body temperature, demonstrating a potential use in drug controlled release and biomedical applications.