Micron-Sized Silica-PNIPAM Core-Shell Microgels with Tunable Shell-To-Core Ratio.

ABSTRACT: Micron-sized hard core-soft shell hybrid microgels are promising model systems for studies of soft matter as they enable in-situ optical investigations and their structures/morphologies can be engineered with a great variety. Yet, protocols that yield micron-sized core-shell microgels with a tailorable shell-to-core size ratio are rarely available. In this work, we report on the one-pot synthesis protocol for micron-sized silica-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) core-shell microgels that has excellent control over the shell-to-core ratio. Small-angle light scattering and microscopy of 2- and 3-dimensional assemblies of the synthesized microgels confirm that the produced microgels are monodisperse and suitable for optical investigation even at high packing fractions.

SUBMITTER: Kuk K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9407347 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature