Small-angle neutron scattering from poly(NIPA-co-AMPS) gels

The microstructure of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulphonic acid) gel, poly(NIPA-co-AMPS), was investigated as a function of temperature and cross-link density using the small angle neutron scattering technique. The sample temperature was varied in the range 30 to 55C. Two different behaviours of poly(NIPA-co-AMPS) gels were observed. At low temperature (30C), the magnitude of the scattered intensity increased with cross-link density suggesting that additional cross-links introduced more inhomogeneities in the gel network. At high temperatures the trend was reversed; that is the lower cross-link density, the higher the scattered intensity. Therefore, the role of cross-links at high temperature was to suppress microphase separation. The fitting of the experimental data with the Rabin and Panyukov theory indicated qualitative agreement.