Article
  • Synthesis of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Micro-hydrogel Using a Microfluidic Channel and Study on Concentration Sensor
  • Shin Hye Kang#, Seo Gyun Kim#, and Heon Sang Lee

  • Department of Chemical Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea

  • 미세채널을 이용한 폴리(N-이소프로필아크릴아미드) 마이크로 하이드로젤의 합성 및 농도측정 센서 용도
  • 강신혜# · 김서균# · 이헌상

  • 동아대학교 화학공학과

Abstract

In this study, PDMS microchannels were fabricated by using a soft lithography process. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm) micro-hydrogel spheres were synthesized by using the microfluidic channel. The volume of synthesized micro-hydrogel was reduced as increasing temperature, exhibiting lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior at around 32 ℃. The volume changes of the micro-hydrogels were monitored as they were immersed into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) or sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. The effects of temperature and solution concentration on the volume of the micro-hydrogels were investigated. The osmotic pressures of the micro-hydrogels were calculated from the solid contents in the micro-hydrogel by using the Flory-Huggins theory. It was suggested that the micro-hydrogel can be used as a sensor detecting concentration of solution and temperature.


본 연구에서는 소프트리소그래피(soft lithography) 공정을 이용하여 폴리디메틸실록산(polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) 재질의 미세채널을 제작하였고, 이를 활용하여 구형의 폴리(N-이소프로필아크릴아미드)(poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAm) 미세-하이드로젤을 합성하였다. 합성된 미세-하이드로젤은 온도가 상승할수록 부피가 감소하였으며, 32 ℃ 주변에서 최저임계용액온도(lower critical solution temperature, LCST) 거동을 보였다. 미세-하이드로젤을 폴리비닐알코올(poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA) 용액 또는 염화나트륨(sodium chloride, NaCl) 용액에 담구었을 때, 용액의 농도 및 온도에 따른 미세-하이드로젤의 부피변화를 관찰하였다. 부피변화로부터 미세-하이드로젤에 포함된 물과 고분자의 부피분율 변화를 계산하였다. Flory-Huggins 이론을 도입하여 각 용액의 농도 및 온도에 따른 삼투압 변화를 확인하였다. 측정된 부피변화와 삼투압 변화 결과로부터 제조된 미세-하이드로젤은 온도 및 농도측정 센서로 활용가능함을 확인하였다.


Keywords: osmotic pressure, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), microgel, hydrogel, microfluidics

  • Polymer(Korea) 폴리머
  • Frequency : Bimonthly(odd)
    ISSN 0379-153X(Print)
    ISSN 2234-8077(Online)
    Abbr. Polym. Korea
  • 2022 Impact Factor : 0.4
  • Indexed in SCIE

This Article

  • 2018; 42(6): 1052-1058

    Published online Nov 25, 2018

  • 10.7317/pk.2018.42.6.1052
  • Received on Jul 9, 2018
  • Revised on Jul 20, 2018
  • Accepted on Jul 30, 2018

Correspondence to

  • Heon Sang Lee
  • Department of Chemical Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea

  • E-mail: heonlee@dau.ac.kr