Issue 46, 2019

Near-infrared light-responsive hydrogels via peroxide-decorated MXene-initiated polymerization

Abstract

Two-dimensional MXene Ti3C2Tx nanosheets with peroxide decoration (p-Ti3C2Tx) are synthesized by a sonication-assisted MILD etching method. The obtained MXenes can generate hydroxyl radical species and act as an initiator for free-radical polymerization of a series of acrylic monomers without the use of light illumination or co-initiators. The monomers analyzed include acrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), N,N-dimethylacrylamide, methyl methacrylate, and hydroxyethyl methacrylate. By simply mixing N-isopropylacrylamide monomers and p-Ti3C2Tx nanosheets under deoxygenated conditions, PNIPAM-based nanocomposite hydrogels are synthesized using a high concentration of the monomer. The nanocomposite hydrogels have a photothermal conversion efficiency of 34.7% and photothermal stability superior to that of pristine Ti3C2Tx. Taking advantage of the thermal responsive behavior of PNIPAM, the nanocomposite hydrogels are successfully exploited as remotely near-infrared light controlled “smart” windows, fluidic valves and photodetectors.

Graphical abstract: Near-infrared light-responsive hydrogels via peroxide-decorated MXene-initiated polymerization

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
06 Aug 2019
Accepted
01 Oct 2019
First published
02 Oct 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 10765-10771

Near-infrared light-responsive hydrogels via peroxide-decorated MXene-initiated polymerization

N. Tao, D. Zhang, X. Li, D. Lou, X. Sun, C. Wei, J. Li, J. Yang and Y. Liu, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 10765 DOI: 10.1039/C9SC03917A

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