Jun Zhou

US Patent:

7989505, Aug 2, 2011

Filed:

Sep 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/524703

Inventors:

Zhibing Hu - Denton TX, US
Jun Zhou - Denton TX, US
Tong Cai - Denton TX, US
Shijun Tang - Denton TX, US
Manuel Marquez - Midlothian VA, US

Assignee:

University of North Texas - Denton TX

International Classification:

C08J 3/05
C08J 3/075
B01F 3/12

US Classification:

516 99, 516102, 516104, 516106

Abstract:

The compositions of hydrogel colloidal crystals are made from mixing an aqueous suspension of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (“PNIPAM”)-co-allylamine microgels with dichloromethane, forming a PNIPAM-co-allylamine/dichloromethane mixture. The PNIPAM-co-allylamine/dichloromethane mixture is incubated for a period of time at a given temperature, forming the colloidal crystal material. The colloidal crystals can be stabilized by diffusing a glutaric dialdehyde solution into the colloidal crystal material. The concentration of polymer matrix microgels can determine the orientation of random or columnar crystals.