Dynamic behavior of hybrid poly(acrylic acid) gel prepared by gamma-ray irradiated imogolite

Abstract

The dynamic behavior of imogolite-poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated using dynamic light scattering. The hydrogel was prepared with aluminosilicate nanotubes, called imogolite, whose surface was activated by gamma-ray irradiation to initiate gelation. Time-resolved light scattering was used to explore the gelation mechanism via diffusion of the imogolite during reaction, and ensemble-averaged light scattering was used to probe the dynamic behavior of the completed gels where imogolite particles participate in chemical cross-linking. The imogolite has a key role in gelation kinetics and gel construction. Gelation progressed rapidly at higher imogolite concentrations, which is evidence of the participation of imogolite during the initiation process. The resulting hydrogels exhibited characteristic lengths that are shorter at higher concentrations of imogolite rods, which can supply a large number of radicals. This study discusses the internal structure of nanocomposite gels based on the dynamic behavior of a hydrogel chemically crosslinked from inorganic particles, which have been used to improve the mechanical properties of polymer gels.