有機ナノ高分子構造体の創生 : デヒドロアラニンポリマーゲルのポーラス構造

A thermoresponsive hydrogel based on poly(methyl 2-isobutyramidoacrylate) (PMIBA) was prepared by free-radical polymerization of the corresponding monomer in the presence of a bis(dehydroalanine) derivative. The PMIBA hydrogel exhibited a volume phase transition within a narrow temperature range around 19 °C. In the equilibrium deswollen state above the transition temperature (Tc), the PMIBA gel contained a certain amount of water, several times the weight of the dry gel. A microscope observation of the equilibrium deswollen PMIBA gel revealed that it has a macroporous structure with 20-50 μm pores. The macroporous nature of the deswollen PMIBA gel resulted in smooth and rapid shrinking when the external temperature was jumped across the Tc.