ELECTROCHEMICAL AND CONFORMATIONAL PROPERTIES OF POLYACRYLIC ACID AND POLY-2-METHYL-5-VINYLPYRIDINE HYDROGELS DURING THEIR REMOTE INTERACTION IN AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENT

Introduction. Previous research on the intergel system of polyacrylicacid (PAA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) revealed that at a hydrogel ratio of 3:3, significant activation occurs at 24 hours. This indicates substantial changes in electrochemical and conformational properties at this ratio. The purpose of this research is to investigate the remote interaction between the weak polyelectrolyte polyacrylic acid (PAA) and the weak polybase poly-2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine (P2M5VP) over time and at various molar ratios in an aqueous environment. The study seeks to explore the activation potential of these hydrogels by analyzing their electrochemical properties using conductometry and pH-metry, and to determine the effect of molar ratios on the specific conductivity and swelling degree of the hydrogels. The obtained results.The maximum conductivity of 14.4 µS/cm was achieved at a ratio of 2:4 at 2.5 hours, coinciding with the minimum pH value of 4.4. In the 6:0 ratio, where only the PAA hydrogel is present, the conductivity changes remained minimal within the range of 1-2 µS/cm, indicating the stability of this hydrogel in the absence of P2M5VP. The swelling coefficient also exhibited interesting dynamic changes depending on the time and component ratios. The swelling coefficient of PAA remained stable at 11-14 for the individual hydrogel but showed a maximum value of 41 at a ratio of 1:5 after 24 hours, indicating significant interaction between the hydrogels. The maximum swelling coefficient of P2M5VP, 7.5 and 7.6, was observed at ratios of 5:1 and 2:4, respectively, 2.5 hours into the study, suggesting optimal interaction of the hydrogels during these time intervals. Conclusion. The studies showed that initial differences in conductivity are minimal; however, significant changes occur over time due to intermolecular interactions between the components. The obtained results can be useful for optimizing the sorption properties of hydrogels in metal extraction processes.