Tailored Macroporous Hydrogels with Nanoparticles Display Enhanced and Tunable Catalytic Activity
2018-06-15T12:20:22Z (GMT)
by
This
work demonstrates that a model system of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
(PNIPAam) macroporous hydrogels, with tailored microstructures and
comprising gold (Au) or silver (Ag) nanoparticles, display enhanced
and tunable catalytic activity. These nanocomposites are prepared
using polymer templates obtained from melt-processed cocontinuous
polymer blends. The reaction rate, controlled by both hydrogel porosity
and the PNIPAam lower critical solution temperature, increases by
more than an order of magnitude as compared to nonporous gels, and
is comparable to micro- or nanocarrier-based systems, with easier
catalyst recovery. The fabrication process is scalable, and is compatible
with broad choices of polymer blend, gel, and nanoparticle chemistries.
License
CC BY-NC 4.0