Swelling properties of aspartic acid-based hydrogels

Chemically crosslinked poly(aspartic acid) (PASP) gels were prepared by the hydrolysis of polysuccinimide (PSI). This latter was prepared by thermal polycondensation of aspartic acid. The PSI chains were crosslinked by 1,4-diaminobutane. The consecutive reactions of hydrolysis and swelling kinetics of PSI- and PASP-based gels were studied at different pH values. Two distinct swelling mechanisms were proposed. The cooperative diffusion coefficient has been found to be three orders of magnitude higher in pH 14 solution than at pH 8.