Thermoresponsive hydrogels with sulfated polysaccharide-derived copolymers: the effect of carbohydrate backbones on the responsive and mechanical properties

Abstract

Abstract Thermoresponsive hydrogels based on ionic cellulose/chitosan are widely used various fields, such as smart windows and tissue engineering, while the effect of carbohydrate backbones of cellulose/chitosan on the thermal response and mechanical properties of hydrogels has received less attention so far. Herein, poly(2(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA)-grafted cellulose sulfate (P-CS) and PDMAEMA-grafted chitosan sulfate (P-CHS) as research models are successfully synthesized through multi-step reactions. The P-CS and P-CHS polymers are further applied in crosslinked polyacrylamide networks, resulting in the P-CS and P-CHS hydrogels. Compared to P-CS hydrogels, P-CHS hydrogels could obviously block the transmission of visible light when the temperature is changed from 25 to 42 °C. In contrast to P-CHS hydrogels, the P-CS hydrogels change easily from soft and weak state to stiff and strong state according to their mechanical behaviors. These results indicate that different carbohydrate backbones of cellulose and chitosan should have caused distinct aggregation behaviors of corresponding P-CS and P-CHS hydrogels, which are accompanied by different light transmittance and mechanical properties. Graphical abstract Thermoresponsive hydrogels using PDMAEMA-grafted ionic cellulose sulfate (P-CS) and chitosan sulfate (P-CHS) are successfully prepared. Distinct carbohydrate backbone displayed different effects on the thermoresponsive and mechanical properties of hydrogels.