Thermoresponsive Core-Shell Microgels. Synthesis and Characterisation
- Resource Type
- research-article
- Authors
- Balaceanu, Andreea; Verkh, Yaroslav; Kehren, Dominic; Tillmann, Walter; Pich, Andrij
- Source
- Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie. 228(2-3):253-267
- Subject
- Core-Shell Microgels
Precipitation Polymerisation
Volume Phase Transition Temperature
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0942-9352
2196-7156
Thermoresponsive microgels based on poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) with core-shell morphology were synthesized by two-step seed precipitation polymerisation. The microgel shell thickness was controlled by increasing the monomer amount added to the core seed during the second polymerisation step. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the real molar ratio between the components of core and shell. The volume phase temperature transition of microgels was investigated with dynamic light scattering and differential scanning calorimetry. The influence that the intrinsic critical solution temperature of the core and shell polymers has on the volume phase transition temperature of the microgels is discussed.