지능형 수질 감지 및 정화를 위한 고분자 콜로이드 기반 융합 플랫폼 개발

Abstract

Polymer colloids exhibit excellent physical, chemical, and optical properties, making them useful materials for environmental sensing and remediation. In this study, colorimetric hydrogels with embedded colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs) into interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels were fabricated. These composite hydrogels showed visible color changes in response to mechanical compression and variations in solvent concentration. When compressed, the hydrogels exhibited a blue-shift in the photonic bandgap. In addition, the color changed reversibly depending on the concentration of ethanol or barium ions (Ba²⁺) in aqueous solutions. These changes occurred because the hydrogels swelled or shrank, which altered the lattice spacing of the embedded CPCs. The hydrogels were stable and could be reused repeatedly, showing their potential for real-time water quality monitoring. Additionally, hollow polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles with a single open hole were developed by using polystyrene colloids as templates. Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were formed on the PDA surface through in-situ reduction. The large surface area and open structure of the nanoparticles allowed faster movement of reactants and better access to the catalytic sites, which improved the reaction efficiency. The PDA particles showed good adsorption ability for iodine, and the Pd-loaded particles also showed high catalytic activity for reducing Cr⁶⁺ in water. These results suggest that this study presents a promising platform for water remediation and environmental protection.