Synthesis and Characterization of Cross-linked Poly(N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide)

The monomer N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide is used in many investigations for the synthesis of various copolymers, e.g. block- or graft- copolymers. Polymers based on this monomer have been widely investigated, e.g. as capillary adsorbed coatings, for stimuli-sensitive polymer synthesis, in bioengineering research, for adhesive hydrogels. They have good biocompatibility, stability and durability. This study describes the process of the synthesis of homopolymer hydrogels based on monomer N-(2-hydroxyethyl) acrylamide by the free radical polymerisation method with thermal initiation using 1,2-ethanediol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker. The polymerization process was initiated by 2,2‘-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride. The cross-linked homopolymer poly(N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide) hydrogels were structurally characterized after the purification of unreacted reactants. Structure characterization of the obtained homopolymer was performed using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Analysis of the obtained FTIR spectra confirmed that the polymerization process was successfully completed, by breaking the double bonds from the N-(2-hydroxyethyl) acrylamide and the 1,2-ethanediol dimethacrylate, which resulted in the formation of a new crosslinked homopolymer products. Hydration capacity of synthesised homopolymer hydrogels was examined in the function of pH values and temperatures. Based on the obtained results, these homopolymer hydrogels show great potential for further research opportunitiesand new applications.