Abstract
Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) grafted Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (ENR-g-PNIPAM) hydrogel was exploited by classic free radical polymerization, which exhibited practical potential for temperature-sensitive material. Free ENR was introduced in the ENR-g-PNIPAM hydrogel to construct a secondary network that will form chain entanglement and further improve the chemical and physical properties of the hydrogel. The renewable ENR and a facile fabrication process make large-scale production of the ENR-g-PNIPAM hydrogel possible and prompt its commercial value. The content of ENR was systematically varied and studied to ensure optimal ratio. Among various compositions examined, the 7:3 weight ratio of ENR/NIPAM in the hydrogel(70ENR) exhibited excellent properties. Additionally, a simple scheme was also designed for fabricating a multifunctional ENR-g-PNIPAM/polypyrrole/cotton (EPPC) composites with simultaneous adsorption of Cr (VI) and electrothermal conversion. The EPPC composites demonstrated good adsorption capacity with 127 mg/g at pH = 2 in an aqueous solution containing 100mg/L Cr (VI), while also functioning as a thermistor with enhanced sensitivity. The adsorption data can be better described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model, indicating that the adsorption was a chemical and multilayer. Benefiting from these research results, enabling the synthesized hydrogel a crucial role in terms of Cr (VI) treatment and thermal sensor.