title: Effect of salt content on the rheological properties of hydrogel based on oligomeric electrolyte.
abstract: Dynamic light scattering and oscillatory rheology experiments were performed to study the effects of various salts on the hydrogel consisting of an oligomeric electrolyte gelator, poly(pyridinium-1,4-diyliminocarbonyl-1,4-phenylenemethylene chloride) (1-Cl). Sol-gel transition temperature increased with increasing salt concentration that suggested the salt-in behavior. The concentration dependence of the dynamic shear moduli showed power-law scaling behavior and was compared with the predictions made by the fractal gel model. The brittleness was increased by increasing salt concentration, indicating that 1-Cl hydrogel became better packed into stronger networks in ionic solutions. After certain salt concentrations, 1-Cl hydrogel started precipitation that might be due to the excessive network formation resulting in collapse of the network structure. The recovery of the mechanical properties of 1-Cl hydrogel was completely reduced in the presence of salts.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan.
authors.forename: Shyamal Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibayama