Study on a new polymer/graphene oxide/clay double network hydrogel with improved response rate and mechanical properties

pH‐ and temperature‐responsive double network hydrogels (DN hydrogels) were prepared by using poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) as a tightly crosslinked network (1st network), polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a loosely crosslinked network (2nd network), with clay and graphene oxide as effective crosslinkers and reinforcing fillers. The structure and morphology of the hydrogels were characterized by SEM, FTIR, DSC, and TGA. The synergetic effects of clay, GO and DN structure on various physical properties were investigated. With the increasing of crosslinking densities, the swelling ratios of DN hydrogels gradually decreased by increasing the contents of graphene oxide and PAA. While the DN hydrogels had much better mechanical properties than that of the conventional chemically cross‐linked PNIPAM hydrogels. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1361–1366, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers