Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Chakrapani, Mukundan
URN	etd-06232003-184552
Title	Polyacrylamide Gels Synthesized in the Presence of Surfactants
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Physics, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title David H. Van Winkle Committee Chair Jorge Piekarewicz Committee Member Per A. Rikvold Committee Member Randolph L. Rill Committee Member Stephan von Molnar Committee Member
Keywords	Synthesis Polyacrylamide Gels Surfactants
Date of Defense	2003-01-01
Availability	restricted
Abstract The polymerization of acrylamide monomers in the presence of surfactant selfassemblies produces gels with variable pore architecture. Polyacrylamide gels were formed by polymerizing acrylamide plus a cross-linker in the presence of surfactants, which were then removed by soaking in distilled water. Gels formed in the presence of over 28% surfactant (by weight) formed clear, but became opaque upon removal of the surfactants. Other gels formed and remained clear. Several analytical techniques such as X-ray Scattering, Dynamic Rheology measurements, Optical Polarized Microscopy, and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) have been used to characterize the formation and the resulting gel structure. The surface morphology as imaged by AFM was studied by numerical scaling analysis. The surface morphology of the gels was studied by several one- and two-dimensional numerical scaling methods. The structure of the final gels were highly dependent on the amount of surfactant present during the formation of gels. At low surfactant concentrations (< 25% by weight), the surfactant micelles are randomly distributed throughout the gel matrix. The average spacing between individual micelles is about 10 nm as indicated by X-ray scattering experiments. When the TTAB concentration is increased to moderate levels (25Ą28%), though the surfactant micelles are randomly distributed, a few surfactant-rich regions may form in the gel matrix. At high TTAB concentrations, phase separation of TTAB from the polymer leads to the formation of many surfactant-rich domains. A model for the gel structure based on symmetry and packing considerations for lattices of spheres of diŽerent concentrations was developed. This model was successfully used to interpret the physical observations, the experimental results, and the results from the scaling analysis. Highly porous gel networks with a high degree of mechanical strength have thus been synthesized. The controlled modification of gel structure provides new opportunities in the development of novel materials. A few areas of application include enzyme fixation for building biosensors, controlled release systems for drug delivery, support matrices for bio-molecule separation. The process of gel formation in the presence of unreactive surfactants can also be extended to alter the structure of other polymer materials.
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