Synthesis of interpenetrating polymer networks using silicone polymer with silanol residue

Silicone polymers containing the silanol residue were prepared from a silica gel and were successively used for the synthesis of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with acrylamides, such as N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide. During gelation, the condensation of silanols to form a siloxane linkage and the radical polymerization of acrylamides with a cross-linker simultaneously proceeded to afford IPNs composed of both the silicone polymer and polyacrylamide gels. The swelling properties of the obtained IPNs were then investigated. For example, the IPNs synthesized with NIPAM showed a much lower percentage of equilibrium mass swelling (PES) values at 3 °C in water, 378–545%, than the NIPAM polymer gel (>1500%), and in addition, these IPNs barely showed an apparent volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) in contrast to the NIPAM polymer gel.