Stimulus-responsive Microgels

Direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of stimulus-responsive microgels.

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy has been employed to visualize pH-responsive acid-swellable microgel particles directly in their swollen state in aqueous acidic solution. Moreover, NEXAFS studies confirm that the nitrogen atoms of these cationic microgel particles are completely protonated at low pH.

Microfluidically fabricated pH-responsive anionic amphiphilic microgels for drug release

Amphiphilic microgels of different composition based on the hydrophilic, pH-responsive acrylic acid (AA) and the hydrophobic, non-ionic n-butyl acrylate (BuA) were synthesised using a lab-on-a-chip device. Hydrophobic droplets were generated via a microfluidic platform that contained a protected form of AA, BuA, the hydrophobic crosslinker, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and a free rad...

Anisotropic responsive microgels with tuneable shape and interactions.

Highly monodisperse polystyrene/poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PS-PNIPMAM) core-shell composite microgels were synthesized and further nanoengineered in either ellipsoidal, faceted or bowl-shaped particles. Beside their anisotropy in shape, the microgel design enables an exquisite control of the particle conformation, size and interactions from swollen and hydrophilic to collapsed and hydroph...

Microwave, photo- and thermally responsive PNIPAm-gold nanoparticle microgels.

Microwave-, photo- and thermo-responsive polymer microgels that range in size from 500 to 800 microm and are swollen with water were prepared by a novel microarray technique. We used a liquid-liquid dispersion technique in a system of three immiscible liquids to prepare hybrid PNIPAm- co-AM core-shell capsules loaded with AuNPs. The spontaneous encapsulation is a result of the formation of doub...

Stimulus responsive peptide based materialsw