Abstract
We have tailored the internal architecture of ultrathin poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) hydrogels from well stratified to highly intermixed by controlling the internal structure in layer-by-layer templates used for hydrogel fabrication. We have found pH-triggered swelling properties of these hydrogels to be significantly affected by hydrogel architecture. Well-stratified hydrogels exhibited a dramatic 10-fold increase in thickness when transitioned between pH = 5 and 7.5, unlike the 2-fold swelling observed in less-organized hydrogels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 226-229 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | ACS Macro Letters |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 19 2013 |