Synthetic materials that reversibly absorb target molecules in response to external stimuli are of great interest. Recently, it has been reported that gel-particles (GPs) consisting of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and functional monomers reversibly absorb target molecules such as protein, peptide and CO2 via a phase transition induced by temperature change. In this study, we report that GPs with reversible affinity to proton can be prepared by copolymerizing acrylic acid (AAc) in the presence of a high concentration of proton. In the proton-rich condition, AAcs were fully protonated and thus efficiently incorporated into low polarity domain of growing PNIPAm GPs. As a result, strong proton binding sites were constructed in the GPs. By cooling bellow phase transition temperature, PNIPAm were hydrated and carboxylic acids in PNIPAm were exposed into water, resulting in effective release of proton. Importantly, strong proton binding sites were regenerated reversibly by heating above phase transition temperature.

Reversible absorption of protons by temperature-responsive gel-particles

245th National Meeting (2013)

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