SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF PH-RESPONSIVE HYDROGELS. APPLICATION AS FLOW CONTROL VALVE IN MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEMS

M.R. ROMERO ; R.D. ARRUA; C.I. ALVAREZ IGARZABAL; E.F. HILDER

Melbourne

Congreso; 24th Anniversary World Congress on Biosensors; 2014

Elsevier in association with Biosensors & Bioelectronics

In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of a novel hydrogel prepared from tris[(hydroxymethyl) methyl]acrylamide (NAT) and itaconic acid (ITA) as monomers and (+) N,N-diallyltartradiamide (DAT) as crosslinker. A set of hydrogels were prepared using different molar fraction of monomers and their mechanical forces, rheology, FTIR-ATR and swelling properties were studied. In order to demonstrate the application of the pH-responsive hydrogels, one of the poly(NAT-co-ITA) copolymers was incorporated into a flow control valve system to act as an actuator, testing it within a capillary system. The hydrogel was configured as a valve to control the passage of a solution according to changes in the pH that produces variations in the hydrogel swelling. The results obtained suggest that the developed hydrogel could be used as actuator to flow control of drugs in microfluidic devices.