Abstract
This study examines the synergistic effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) composites. While PHEMA is extensively used for its biocompatibility, its incorporation into fixed and nanostructured templates like AAO continues to be a challenge in relation to interfacial wetting and mechanical optimization. To address this, AAO membranes were infused with solutions prepared at varying PHEMA-to-SDS ratios and subsequently characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectroscopic analysis using FTIR and XPS establish integration of SDS as indicated by representative SO₂ stretching bands and a shift in ester bond binding energies which imply improved chemical interactions at the polymer–template interface. AFM exhibited a marked morphological evolution from a flat surface to a peak or spike-like architecture created by surfactant addition which further diminished interfacial tension and enabled polymer protrusion. Mechanical testing showed that the incorporation of SDS enhanced the composites' resistance to elastic deformation with the 1:6 PHEMA:SDS ratio affording the most optimum balance of hardness and elastic modulus. Our findings emphasize the role of SDS as an efficient interfacial agent and this affords a novel approach for customizing the physicochemical and mechanical properties of template-confined hydrogel nanocomposites for advanced biomedical or sensing industrial applications.