Title: Hydrothermal Conditioning of Physical Hydrogels Prepared from a Midblock-Sulfonated Multiblock Copolymer

Abstract

Since nanostructured amphiphilic macromolecules capable of affording high ion and water transport are becoming increasingly important in a wide range of contemporary energy and environmental technologies, the swelling kinetics and temperature dependence of water uptake are investigated in a series of midblock‐sulfonated thermoplastic elastomers. Upon self‐assembly, these materials maintain a stable hydrogel network in the presence of a polar liquid. In this study, real‐time water‐sorption kinetics in copolymer films prepared by different casting solvents are elucidated by synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering and gravimetric measurements, which directly correlate nanostructural changes with macroscopic swelling to establish fundamental structure–property behavior. By monitoring the equilibrium swelling capacity of these materials over a range of temperatures, an unexpected transition in the vicinity of 50 °C has been discovered. Depending on copolymer morphology and degree of sulfonation, hydrothermal conditioning of specimens to temperatures above this transition permits retention of superabsorbent swelling at ambient temperature. image

Authors:

Mineart, Kenneth P. ^[1]; Dickerson, Joshua D. ^[1]; Love, Dillon M. ^[1]; Lee, Byeongdu ^[2]; Zuo, Xiaobing ^[2]; Spontak, Richard J. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
2. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Publication Date:

Tue Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

North Carolina State University; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

OSTI Identifier:

1399270

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1401508

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-06CH11357

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Macromolecular Rapid Communications

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 38; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1022-1336

Publisher:

Wiley

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; block ionomer; hydrothermal conditioning; multiblock copolymer; physical hydrogel; thermoplastic elastomer