The ability to design and create multi-scale, dynamic soft materials and composites capable of responding to their environment, defines an important challenge in materials science for controlled energy flow and information processing. One approach to the construction of functional materials involves the development of hybrid systems that utilize both natural and synthetic components. Here, we report on progress towards the development of a new class of nanostructured hybrid, hierarchical hydrogels that exhibit stimuli-responsive properties. In short, an imidazolium-based ionic liquid molecule was tethered to poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). Then, a self-assembled ionic liquid hybrid polymer was captured with UV radiation preserving the lyotropic liquid crystalline state of the original aqueous mixture of the IL-PNIPAM conjugate (up to 25 wt % of total) and 1-(10-(acryloyloxy)octyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride. Attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis confirmed production of a polymeric material. Swelling and temperature studies demonstrated that the nanostructured PNIPAM-IL conjugate, possesses both solvent and stimuli responsive properties. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies on the hybrid polymer demonstrated that the hydrogel adopts a lamellar structure. Additionally, this concept of hybrid systems containing both natural and synthetic components was extended further to produce composites containing both ionic liquids and stimuli-responsive elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs).

Development of a new class of hybrid, hierarchical polymers that exhibit stimuli responsive properties

254th National Meeting (2017)

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