The interpenetrating polymer network of fast temperature-responsive hydrogels
based on soy protein and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were successfully
prepared using the sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solutions as the reaction
medium. The structure and properties of the hydrogels were characterized by
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy,
differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis. The
swelling and deswelling kinetics were also investigated in detail. The
results have shown that the proposed hydrogels had high porous structure,
good miscibility and thermal stability, and fast temperature responsivity.
The presence of NaHCO3 had little effect on the volume phase transition
temperature (VPTT) of the hydrogels, and the VPTTs were at about 32?C.
Compared with the traditional hydrogels, the proposed hydrogels had much
faster swelling and deswelling rate. The swelling mechanism of the hydrogels
was the non-Fickian diffusion. This fast temperature-responsive hydrogels
may have potential applications in the field of biomedical materials.