Fabrication of poly(acrylamide) hydrogels with gradient crosslinking degree via photoinitiation of thick polymer system

In this paper, we report on the synthesis of poly(acrylamide) (PAM) hydrogels by photoinitiation with a thick system. The hydrogels exhibited gradient crosslinking density along the light path. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) proved the same effects. We investigated some factors affecting the swelling ratio of the hydrogels such as crosslinking agent concentration, photoinitiator concentration, and monomer concentration. The as-prepared hydrogels might have some potential applications in drug delivery systems and other function materials. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.