I feel free radical polymerization id most prefered method to develop P(nipam) and its copolymers.
coming to grafting Ting Zhang et al., (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 51 (2012) 1109– 1115) has previously work on developing CS-g-PNIPAM/CMC. You can verify that article it might help You.
Since you are saying Superporous hydrogel for Gastroretentive delivery. plz verify Macromol. Biosci. 2006, 6, 358–363 and Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 46 (2005) 57–61