Described herein are compositions of hydrogels and methods of use thereof.

In a method for producing a high-molecular-weight polymer sheet, when a monomer composition including silver nanowires is polymerized, the monomer composition is allowed to stand in a state in which a thickness direction of the obtained high-molecular-weight polymer sheet before the polymerization is a vertical direction, and the silver nanowires in the monomer composition are oriented in the vertical direction and polymerized.

A composition and method directed to the formation of a biodegradable composition with enhanced mechanical properties is provided. The composition includes starch in an amount from 15-45 %, chitosan in an amount ranging from 1-50 wt%, poly acrylamide in an amount ranging from 1-10 wt %, and water in an amount ranging from 25-85 wt %. The composition can be provided for food packaging or otherwise as a protective material.

Anion-exchange membranes are useful for electro-membrane processes such as electrodialysis (water desalination, separation of inorganics from organic molecules, separation of specific inorganic ion, etc.), in-situ ion-exchange and ion substitution, electro-deionization for producing ultrapure water, polymer electrolyte membrane for alkaline fuel cell and electrolysis applications. The present invention discloses an acid and base resistant fluorinated hydrocarbon based anion-exchange membrane and its method of preparation thereof. In the first step co-polymerization is carried out between N-isopropylacrylamide and 1-vinylimidazole. In the second step, obtained inter-polymer of isopropylacrylamide-co-vinylimidazole co-polymer is mixed with poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-co-HFP) (IA-co-VI/PVDF-co-HFP), which is used for casting membrane film of desired thickness. The obtained casted membrane thin film is quaternized in methyl iodide solution.

Described herein are treated polymers comprising a polyacrylamide homopolymer or a copolymer thereof having at least 30 mol % acrylamide residue content and a weight average molecular weight in the range of 1×10.sup.5 g/mol to 1×10.sup.8 g/mol, and 0.1 wt % to 10 wt % of a C1-C6 alkyl ricinoleate based on the weight of the mixture of polymer and alkyl ricinoleate. The polymers are in powder form and include less than about 30 wt % water based on the powder weight. The treated polymer powders dissolve rapidly in water and develop very little or even no insoluble gel upon diluting with water, even when the water is produced water or connate. The treated polymer solutions are useful for in-the-field rapid dilution for applications such as papermaking, flocculation, beneficiation, wastewater treatment, and enhanced oil recovery.

The invention provides a “host-guest” supramolecular hydrogel. The hydrogel contains an AAm/NVP interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) with supramolecular cross-linkers assembled from β-lactam/adamantane-containing guest molecule with host polymeric cyclodextrin (PCD). An advantage of this hydrogel is that because of the molecular association of polymeric cyclodextrin and adamantane, the supramolecular hydrogels self-heal without any external stimuli after the hydrogels are severed. The invention also provides methods of making the hydrogel, methods of making the synthesis intermediates, and methods of diagnosis or treatment of β-lactamase-containing bacteria.

A cartilage mimetic gel includes double network hydrogels. The double network hydrogels comprise a first crosslinked network and a second crosslinked network. The first crosslinked network can be formed from poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid). The second crosslinked network can be formed from poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-acrylamide).

The present disclosure describes, in part, an enzyme-mediated radical initiating system and methods of using the system to produce polymers, including polymeric hydrogels, at ambient conditions.

The present invention concerns an aqueous dispersion comprising particles of water-soluble polymer of average molecular weight higher than or equal to 0.5 million daltons, or of water-swellable polymer, and a mixture of at least one sulfate salt and at least one phosphate salt in weight proportions of between 25:75 and 75:25.

The disclosure relates to an in situ-gelling hydrogel composition based on functionalized zwitterionic polymers. The resulting hydrogels exhibit highly anti-fouling, anti-adhesive, and lubricating properties to enable the fabrication of bulk hydrogels or hydrogel-based coatings of relevance to biomedical applications.