EQUILIBRIUM SWELLING PROPERTIES OF WEAKLY IONIZABLE 2-HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE (HEMA)-BASED HYDROGELS

Hydrogels, sensitive to pH, were prepared by copolymerizing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMA). The mole fraction of the DMA monomer present during synthesis was fixed at 0.3, while the volume fraction of total monomer varied from 0.29 (I) to 1.0 (II). Swelling equilibria were measured in citrate or phosphate buffer for pH from 3.0 to 7.6. Swelling of the hydrogels depends on the volume fraction monomer present during synthesis, solution pH, and identity of the buffer. Hydrogel I reached a four-fold larger swelling ratio (g swollen hydrogel/g dry hydrogel) in pH 3.0 citrate buffer, as compared to hydrogel II. Experimental results are interpreted on the basis of ideal Donnan equilibria. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.