1 research outputs found
Design of Thermally Responsive Polymeric Hydrogels for Brackish Water Desalination: Effect of Architecture on Swelling, Deswelling, and Salt Rejection
In this work, we explore the ability
of utilizing hydrogels synthesized
from a temperature-sensitive polymer and a polyelectrolyte to desalinate
salt water by means of reversible thermally induced absorption and
desorption. Thus, the influence of the macromolecular architecture
on the swelling/deswelling behavior for such hydrogels was investigated
by tailor-made network structures. To this end, a series of chemically
cross-linked polymeric hydrogels were synthesized via free radical-initiated
copolymerization of sodium acrylate (SA) with the thermoresponsive
comonomer <i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) by realizing
different structural types. In particular, two different polyNIPAAm
macromonomers, either with one acrylate function at the chain end
or with additional acrylate functions as side groups were synthesized
by controlled polymerization and subsequent polymer-analogous reaction
and then used as building blocks. The rheological behaviors of hydrogels
and their estimated mesh sizes are discussed. The performance of the
hydrogels in terms of swelling and deswelling in both deionized water
(DI) and brackish water (2 g/L NaCl) was measured as a function of
cross-linking degree and particle size. The salt content could be
reduced by 23% in one cycle by using the best performing material