title: Fabrication and properties of thermosensitive organic/inorganic hybrid hydrogel thin films.
abstract: We report on a facile method for fabricating thermosensitive organic/inorganic hybrid hydrogel thin films from a cross-linkable organic/inorganic hydrid copolymer, poly[ N-isopropylacrylamide- co-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate] [P(NIPAm- co-TMSPMA)]. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra confirmed the formation of hybrid hydrogel thin films after hydrolysis of the methoxysilyl groups (Si-O-CH 3) and subsequent condensation of the silanol groups (Si-OH). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images revealed that the surface morphology of the hydrogel thin films depended on the supporting substrates. Microdomains were observed for the hydrogel thin films on a gold surface, which can be attributed to inhomogeneous network structures. The thermoresponsive swelling-deswelling behavior and the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogel thin films were investigated as a function of temperature (25-45 degrees C) by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) operated in water. The high frequency shear modulus of the P(NIPAm- co-TMPSMA) hydrogel thin films was several hundred kilopascals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Binyang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Tianyou
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Haotian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junting
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhiqian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan