Table 2.
Common popular polymers used for making GPEs.
| Polymer | Monomer | Glass Trans. Tª (°C) [129] | Crosslinking Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
 Polyethylene oxide (PEO) |
–[CH2–CH2–O]n– | −64 | Physical crosslinking: UV radiation. |
 Polypropylene oxide (PPO) |
–[CH2–CH(–CH3)O]n– | −60 | Chemical crosslinking: Polysiloxane. |
 Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) |
–[CH2–CH(–CN)]n– | 109 | Physical crosslinking: γ-rays radiation. Chemical crosslinking: Hydrazine |
 Polyvinylidenefluoride (PVdF) |
–[CH2–CF2]n– | −34 | Physical crosslinking: UV radiation. Chemical crosslinking: Diamines, dithioles, etc. |
 Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) |
–[(CH3)2–SiO)]n– | −127 | Chemical crosslinking: pentaerythritol-derived. |
 Poly(methylmethacrylate) |
–[CH2C(–CH3)(–OOCH3)]n– | 105 | Chemical crosslinking: Ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, 1,6-diaminohexane, etc. |
 Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) |
–(CH2CHCl)n– | 83 | Physical crosslinking: radiation. Chemical crosslinking: silanes, peroxides. |
 Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co- hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) |
–(–CH2CF2–)x–co– [–CF2CF(CF3)–]y– |
−65 | Physical crosslinking: electrospinning., radiation Chemical crosslinking: diamines, carbamates.peroxides, etc. |
 Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) |
–[CH2CH(OH)]n– | 80 | Physical crosslinking: freezing/thawing, H-bonding. Chemical crosslinking: GA, borax. |
 Sodium polyacrylate (PANa) |
–(CH2CHCONH2)n– | - | Physical crosslinking: UV radiation. Chemical crosslinking: SiO2, FeCl3. |
 Polyacrilic acid (PAA) |
–(C3H4O2)n– | 101 | Physical crosslinking: H-bonding. Chemical crosslinking: FeCl3, vinyl hybrid silica nanoparticles. |
 Polyacrylamide (PAM) |
CH2=CHC(O)NH2– | 165 | Chemical crosslinking: (bisacrylamide, typically: N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA). |
 Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) |
–(C6H10O2)n– | −66 | Physical crosslinking: radiation. Chemical crosslinking: peroxides. |