Pressure-induced volume phase transition of polyacrylamide gels in acetone-water mixtures

Abstract

In this study, the swelling curves of ionized polyacrylamide gels in acetone-water mixtures were measured as a function of hydrostatic pressure up to pressures of 300 MPa for various acetone concentrations. The results indicate that the pressure-induced volume phase transition is generally expected for most hydrogels. Further, similarities were observed between the volume phase transition of the gels and the denaturation of proteins.