Structurally Tailored and Engineered Macromolecular (STEM) gels are part of an emerging field of smart materials. STEM gels are polymer networks containing latent initiator sites available for post-synthesis modification. One type of STEM gel was synthesized by controled radical polymerization. First, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used to copolymerize (meth)acrylate monomer, di(meth)acrylate crosslinker and inimer for the subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) grafting-from process. The resulting “mother” STEM gel was infiltrated with several monomers, which were grafted from the inimer sites by photo-activated ATRP. Photo initiation has the advantage of spatial control of the gel modification. The mechanical and chemical properties of the resulting “daughter” STEM gels were precisely tuned. After grafting poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, the swelling capacity of the gels increased by 37% to 200% depending on STEM gel composition and temperature. The daughter gel stiffness was tuned by the type of polymer grafted.

Phototunable structurally tailored and engineered macromolecular (STEM) gels

254th National Meeting (2017)

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