Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) P(NIPAM-co-AAc) microgels were synthesized by precipitation polymerization. Copper nanoparticles were successfully fabricated inside the microgels by in-situ reduction of copper ions in an aqueous medium. The microgels were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Hydrodynamic radius of P(NIPAM-co-AAc) microgel particles increased with an increase in pH in aqueous medium at 25 °C. Copper-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) Cu-P(NIPAM-co-AAc) hybrid microgels were used as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Effect of temperature, concentration of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) and catalyst dosage on the value of apparent rate constant (k app ) for catalytic reduction of 4-NP in the presence of Cu-P(NIPAM-co-AAc) hybrid microgels were investigated by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. It was found that the value of k app for catalytic reduction of 4-NP in the presence of Cu-P(NIPAM-co-AAc) hybrid microgel catalyst increased with an increase in catalyst dosage, temperature and concentration of NaBH 4 in aqueous medium. The results were discussed in terms of diffusion of reactants towards catalyst surface and swelling-deswelling of hybrid microgels.
Farooqi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.