• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.94-98
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• 2011

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), PHEMA, hybrid gels containing Pluronic and acrylic acid (AAc) were prepared as new biocompatible and stimuli-responsive hydrogels by photo-polymerization technique. The prepared hybrid gel showed reversible, temperature-responsive swelling behavior due to the presence of Pluronic component, which underwent sol-gel transition at an elevated temperature to cause gel shrinkage. The hydrogel also exhibited increased swelling degrees and pH-sensitivity due to the AAc component with ionizable carboxylic acid groups. The microporous gel morphology and its changes upon stimuli was observed by scanning electron microscopy.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 2009

To modify and strengthen the properties of PHEMA hydrogel, composite hydrogels containing varying amounts of a Pluronic (PEO-PPO-PEO) component were synthesized by bulk polymerization of HEMA in the presence of Pluronic dimethacrylate under mild photo initiating conditions. The effects of the Pluronic component on gel properties were investigated by measuring the degree of swelling with its temperature responsive behavior, the mechanical properties, and the morphology of the composite hydrogels. With increased Pluronic content, the modified PHEMA hydrogels exhibited an increase in the degree of swelling, and the swelling showed an enhanced thermo-responsive behavior that was completely reversible. In addition, improved mechanical strength and the development of a microporous gel morphology were observed in hydrogels containing Pluronic.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.394-399
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• 2006

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.379-383
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• 2008

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2019

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels modified with various co-monomers, such as N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and glycerol monomethacrylate (GMMA), were prepared to investigate the effect of adding a co-monomer on the water contents, surface wettability, and tensile modulus. These polymers were synthesized by thermal- and photo-polymerization in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phosphineoxide (TPO) as the initiators. The characteristics of the hydrogels were analyzed via FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopies, contact angle measurements, and tensile modulus measurements with UTM. Regarding the properties of water in the hydrogels, the ratio between free to bound water was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of adding the co-monomers on the water content, surface wettability, and tensile modulus for soft contact lenses were also investigated. In the case of p(HEMA-co-NVP) hydrogels, the increase in the equilibrium water content (EWC) was primarily due to the increase in the bound water content. For p(HEMA-co-GMMA) hydrogels, an increase in free water content was the main reason for the increased EWC. In contrast, in the case of p(HEMA-co-GMA) hydrogels, a decrease in bound water content was observed to be the main factor that reduced the EWC. Photo-polymerized PHEMA hydrogels showed enhanced surface wettability and tensile modulus as compared to those produced via thermal polymerization.