Abstract

Xerogels have been synthesized from copolymers of dimethylacrylamide and 2-(N-alkylperfluoro-octanesulfonamido)ethyl (meth)acrylates. The xerogels exhibit transparency despite the fact that DSC analyses reveal heterogeneous structures exhibiting two glass transition temperatures. The DSC results are indicative of a morphology made up of domains corresponding to a rigid backbone and flexible perfluorinated side-chains. On swelling in saline hydrogels were formed. The resulting materials maintain transparency, display high water contents (40–80 wt%) and moduli comparable with existing commercial hydrogel materials. The oxygen permeabilities (Dk × 10¹⁰) of the gels range from 34 to 52 (ml O₂) mm cm⁻² s⁻¹ mmHg⁻¹. These Dk values are high in comparison with those of conventional hydrogels and are indicative of a heterogeneous hydrogel structure facilitating oxygen transmission through both the aqueous phase and via a fluorine-rich co-continuous polymeric phase.