Thermo-responsive polymers characteristics

The most commonly studied thermo-responsive polymers are poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s, poly(vinyl methyl ether), poly(N-vinyl caprolactam), and polymers of oligoethylene glycol (meth)acrylates. Each of them is characterized with specific LCST, mechanism of heat-driven phase transition, structure and properties of the resulting mesoglobules, as well as with varying extents of reversibility and reproducibility of the process of mesoglobule formation [58]. The most preferable characteristics of the thermo-responsive polymers and mesoglobules used as templates for nanocapsule preparation have been formulated below [58] ... 

Lee Y M, Kim S H and Cho C S, Synthesis and swelling characteristics of pH and thermo-responsive interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyfacryUc acid) , J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 1996, 62, 301. 

To clarify the mechanisms of the clay-reinforced carbonaceous char formation, which may be responsible for the reduced mass loss rates, and hence the lower flammability of the polymer matrices, a number of thermo-physical characteristics of the PE/MMT nanocomposites have been measured in comparison with those of the pristine PE (which, by itself is not a char former) in both inert and oxidizing atmospheres. The evolution of the thermal and thermal-oxidative degradation processes in these systems was followed dynamically with the aid of TGA and FTIR methods. Proper attention was paid also to the effect of oxygen on the thermal-oxidative stability of PE nanocomposites in their solid state, in both the absence as well as in the presence of an antioxidant. Several sets of experimentally acquired TGA data have provided a basis for accomplishing thorough model-based kinetic analyses of thermal and thermal-oxidative degradation of both pristine PE and PE/MMT nanocomposites prepared in this work. 

Y. Kaneko, R. Yoshida, K. Sakai, Y. Sakurai and T. Okano, Temperature-responsive shrinking kinetics of poly(Y-isopropylacrylamide) copolymer gels with hydrophilic and hydrophobic comonomers, J. Membr. Sci., 1995, 101, 13 Y.H. Lim, D. Kim and D.S. Lee, Drug releasing characteristics of thermo- and pH-sensitive interpenetrating polymer networks based on poly(W-isopropylacrylamide), J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 1997,... 

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