Modification of PDMS with acrylic acid and acrylic acid/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate by simultaneous polymerization assisted by gamma radiation

Publication date: Available online 5 February 2020Source: Radiation Physics and ChemistryAuthor(s): M.A. Velazco-Medel, L.A. Camacho-Cruz, E. BucioAbstractThe addition of hydrophilic functional groups to hydrophobic polymers has been extensively used for the development of new medical devices with potential applications both for antibacterial substrates and for biocompatible materials. Having this into account, this work sought to modify PDMS films by grafting a copolymer of acrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (AAc/EGDMA) to increase the hydrophilicity of the films, and thus modifying the swelling properties of PDMS in water. The effect of the molar ratio between AAc/EGDMA and the crosslinking of these grafted groups on the properties of these materials was evaluated by performing swelling studies both in water and pH buffer solutions and contact angle measurements. Potentiometric titrations were employed to estimate acid group availability on the PDMS-g-(AAc-co-EGDMA) films with different grafting yields.
Source: Radiation Physics and Chemistry - Category: Physics Source Type: research