title: Synthesis and in situ atomic force microscopy characterization of temperature-responsive hydrogels based on poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization.
abstract: Well-defined copolymers of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and benzophenone methacrylate (BPMA) with different compositions were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization. The molecular weights of these copolymers were Mn approximately 30 000 g/mol, while the BPMA content varied from 2.5 to 10 mol %. The copolymers with a low content of BPMA (2.5 and 5 mol %) exhibited a sharp thermal transition at 33-36 degrees C in aqueous solution. A hydrogel was immobilized and patterned on a silicon wafer via UV treatment of the spin-coated polymer layer using a photomask technique. The thermoresponsive behavior of the patterned polymer gel was quantitatively investigated by variable temperature in situ contact mode atomic force microscopy, which revealed the presence of two lower critical solution temperature regions. One region was between 25 and 30 degrees C, corresponding to the topmost layer of the hydrogel film, and the other region, around 40 degrees C, corresponded to the bulk of the hydrogel. Concurrent lateral force microscopy measurements revealed that, just above the transition temperature, the bulk region exhibited enhanced friction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Jinyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cusick
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pietrasik
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kowalewski
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matyjaszewski
mesh_terms: D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009757:Nylons / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D020100:Hydrogels; D008689:Methacrylates; D009757:Nylons; C407037:poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate); D012822:Silicon Dioxide