Photopolymerisation of acrylic acid and chitosan gels (I): Influence of preparation method on the formation and kinetic behaviour of interpenetrating complexes

the kinetic study of the photopolymerisation of gels of acrylic acid (aa) and chitosan (chi) prepared by three different methods was accomplished. the kinetic parameters such as conversion and polymerisation rate were determined. the influence of the composition and the preparation method on these parameters was elucidated. the effect of the mixing order on the formation of chitosan-acrylic acid complexes (chi+aa-) was determined by measuring the viscosity of non-polymerised gels. the presence of polyacrylic acid (paa) grafted on to a chi matrix after photopolymerisation and the influence of the method of preparation and feed composition on the proportion of chi-paa interpolymer network were demonstrated by ftir spectroscopy. the possible mechanism of the graft copolymerisation is discussed in detail.