@conference{
author = "Nikolić, Nikolina and Radosavljević, Aleksandra and Spasojević, Jelena and Stamenović, Una and Vodnik, Vesna and Kačarević-Popović, Zorica",
year = "2022",
abstract = "Recently, the one of the fastest growing areas in materials sciences is the development of polymer-based smart materials, which can autonomously change their physical and/or chemical properties under external stimuli. Photoactuators as a class of smart materials that can produce a reversible mechanical deformation under light stimuli have attracted tremendous interest due to their potential applications in soft robotics, smart grippers, artificial muscles, and smart devices. Thermosensitive hydrogels with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are probably the most commonly used active layers. Under the visible light irradiation, the local photo-thermal shrinking is induced, which enables the external wireless remote control of hydrogels and photo-thermalmechanical motions such as bending, curling, and spiraling [1-3]. In this work, hydrogel nanocomposites based on thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAAm) and AuNPs were produced by radiolytic method. The presence of AuNPs,nanospheres and nanorods, incorporated into PNiPAAm hydrogel was confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, TEM and SEM. The influence of different shapes of AuNPs on physicochemical properties of AuPNiPAAm hydrogel nanocomposites was investigated. Swelling and deswelling kinetics in water at 25C and 48C,respectively, indicate that all samples showed non-Fickian diffusion (both diffusion and polymer chains relaxation processes control the fluid transport). On the other hand, volume phase transition temperature (VPTT), can be adjusted by the incorporation of different shapes of AuNPs. It has been observed that VPTT decreases from 32.5 C for Au nanorods to 30.5Cfor Au nanospheres. Moreover, Au-PNiPAAm hydrogel nanocomposites possess an excellent -switchable electrical conductivity, especially in the case of Au nanorods.",
journal = "The Miller Online Workshop on Radiation Chemistry : Programme and book of abstracts",
title = "Au-PNiPAAm hydrogel nanocomposites as photoactuators for direct optical to mechanical energy conversion",
pages = "86-86",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_vinar_12493"
}