Core and surface microgel mechanics are differentially sensitive to alternative crosslinking concentrations.

ABSTRACT: Microgel mechanics are central to the swelling of stimuli-responsive materials and furthermore have recently emerged as a novel design space for tuning the uptake of nanotherapeutics. Despite this importance, the techniques available to assess mechanics, at the sub-micron scale, remain limited. In this report, all mechanical moduli for a series of air-dried, polystyrene-co-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pS-co-NIPAM) microgels of varying composition in monomer and crosslinker (N,N'-methylene-bisacrylamide (BIS)) mol% have been determined using Brillouin light scattering (BLS) and AFM nanoindentation. These techniques sample the material through distinct means and provide complementary nanomechanical data. An initial demonstration of this combined approach is used to evaluate size-dependent na

SUBMITTER: Mohapatra H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6207079 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature