Cryogels monomer/polymer concentration

Using (8), one may estimate the polymer concentration i/ in the unfrozen gel phase at a given temperature Tprep (Tprep < Tf ). To apply (8) to the cryogelation systems, we assume that the monomers completely accumulate in the unfrozen reaction phase before the onset of gelation. We also assume that, after cryogelation, the conversion of mraiomer to crosslinked polymer is complete. Thus, the monomer concentration C in the unfrozen zones (in % w/v) can be estimated from i/ as ... 

Calculations using (8) show that the temperature Tp ep significantly affects the monomer concentration in the unfrozen phase. Figure 6a, b shows how the monomer concentration C in the unfrozen domains and the volume fraction of frozen solvent in the resulting cryogel P vary with the temperature Cprep. Calculations were for water as the solvent and for various polymer-solvent interaction parameters x... 

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