[2PS-273]
Degradable Superabsorbent Polymers Synthesized via Cyclic Ketene Acetal Copolymerization
발표자오진영 (한국과학기술원)
연구책임자서명은 (한국과학기술원)
Abstract
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are functional hydrogels that can absorb water up to 100–1000 times their weight while maintaining their structural integrity. Due to their exceptional absorption capacity, SAPs are widely used in hygiene products, food packaging, and ice packs. SAPs are typically composed of hydrophilic polymers such as poly(acrylic acid). However, their non-cleavable hydrocarbon backbones pose environmental concerns. To address this issue, we synthesized degradable SAPs via copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) with a cyclic ketene acetal (CKA), introducing hydrolysable ester bonds into the backbone. The radical-mediated copolymerization of CKA and AA follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The resulting SAPs exhibit high and tunable water absorption (up to 1290 g/g) and degrade over several months under normal swelling conditions, with rapid degradation occurring within a day under accelerated conditions.