Electroresponsive behavior of 2‐hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel

An interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel composed of 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) was prepared. Its swelling properties and electroresponsive behavior in aqueous NaCl solutions were studied. The results indicated that the water uptake ability of the hydrogel decreased with increasing ionic strength of aqueous NaCl solution. The Young's modulus, elongation at break and tensile strength of the hydrogel swollen in deionized water were 4.29 MPa, 76.5% and 3.26 MPa, respectively. The hydrogel swollen in the NaCl solution bent toward the anode under non-contact direct current electric fields, and its bending speed and equilibrium strain increased with increasing applied voltage. The electroresponsive behavior of the hydrogel was also affected by the electrolyte concentration of external NaCl solution, and there was a critical ionic strength of 0.10 where the maximum equilibrium strain of the hydrogel occurred. By changing the direction of the applied potential cyclically, the hydrogel exhibited good reversible bending behavior. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry