Characterization of the pore structure of aqueous three-dimensional polyacrylamide gels with a novel cross-linker.

The properties of polyacrylamide hydrogels synthesized with a novel hexafunctional (three double bonds) cross-linker, hexahydro-1,3,5-triacryloyl-s-triazine (1a), was evaluated and compared to the currently used tetrafunctional (two double bonds) cross-linker N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis). A variety of characterization techniques that require very little sample preparation and data handling were chosen and include polymerization temperature profiles and conversions, water swelling, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), Gradiflow electrophoretic separation process and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The alternative use of 1a compared to Bis results in polyacrylamide gels with larger pore sizes and a broad pore size distribution.