Preparation and characterization of nanosized P(NIPAM-MBA) hydrogel particles and adsorption of bovine serum albumin on their surface

Thermosensitive polymer hydrogel particles with size varying from 480 to 620 nm were prepared through precipitation copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) in water with ammonium persulfate as the initiator. Only polymer hydrogels without any coagula were obtained when MBA concentration in the monomer mixture was kept between 2.5 and 10.0 wt%; with increased MBA concentration, the monomer conversion was enhanced, the size of the hydrogels was increased, and their shrinking was lessened when heated from 25°C to 40°C. Bovine serum albumin adsorption on the surface of the hydrogels of different MBA content was measured at different pH levels and under different temperatures. The results demonstrated that the adsorption of the protein on the hydrogels could be controlled by adjusting the pH, the temperature of adsorption, and the crosslinking in the hydrogels. The results were interpreted, and the mechanisms of the polymerization were proposed.