A novel N-succinylchitosan-graft-polyacrylamide/attapulgite composite hydrogel prepared through inverse suspension polymerization

A novel N-succinylchitosan-graft-polyacrylamide/attapulgite composite hydrogel was prepared by using N-succinylchitosan, acrylamide and attapulgite through inverse suspension polymerization. The result from FTIR spectra showed that -OH of attapulgite, -OH and -NHCO of N-succinylchitosan participated in graft polymerization with acrylamide. The introduced attapulgite could enhance thermal stability of the hydrogel. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicates that the composite hydrogel has a microporous surface. The volume ratio of heptane to water, weight ratio of acrylamide to N-succinylchitosan and attapulgite content have great influence on swelling ability of the composite hydrogel. The composite hydrogel shows higher swelling rate and pH-sensitivity compared to that of without attapulgite.