초록 |
The combination of two polymers with completely opposite properties has been difficult for decades, such as composite preparation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. As a sensitive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogel has different hydrophilicity depending on temperature while polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an extremely hydrophobic polymer. In this study, composites of these quite different polymers were prepared by fabricating PNIPAAm hydrogels of through-thickness pores using directional melt crystallization and subsequent infiltrating PDMS into the pores of PNIPAAm hydrogels. Depending on different PDMS infiltration methods, various structures of composites resulted, which were confirmed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, stimuli-sensitive characteristics of composites were identified by measuring contact angle and swelling ratio at various conditions of temperature or humidity. |