Role of softness on transition temperatures for pNIPAM microgels

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: KS, Syamjith, Rout, Shubhasmita, Jacob, Alan R
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866909279871565824
author KS, Syamjith
Rout, Shubhasmita
Jacob, Alan R
author_facet KS, Syamjith
Rout, Shubhasmita
Jacob, Alan R
contents Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels are renowned for their thermoresponsive behavior, exhibiting a distinct volume phase transition (VPT) upon temperature changes. This study investigates the influence of microgel softness, controlled by varying the crosslinking density during synthesis via free radical polymerization (FRP), on the difference between the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) and the electrokinetic transition temperature (ETT). These transition temperatures mark the points at which the microgel size and surface charge, respectively, undergo significant alterations in response to temperature. Here, we investigate this phenomenon, employing dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) measurements to characterize the size and electrophoretic mobility response of pNIPAM microgels with different crosslinking densities as a function of temperature. By analyzing the observed trends in the difference between the transition temperatures, we aim to develop a hypothesis that provides a deeper physical understanding of the microgel structure and its relationship to transition temperatures. This investigation thus sheds light on the intricate interplay between microgel structure and its thermoresponsive behavior, offering insights for the design and optimization of pNIPAM microgels for future applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_02490
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Role of softness on transition temperatures for pNIPAM microgels
KS, Syamjith
Rout, Shubhasmita
Jacob, Alan R
Soft Condensed Matter
Materials Science
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels are renowned for their thermoresponsive behavior, exhibiting a distinct volume phase transition (VPT) upon temperature changes. This study investigates the influence of microgel softness, controlled by varying the crosslinking density during synthesis via free radical polymerization (FRP), on the difference between the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) and the electrokinetic transition temperature (ETT). These transition temperatures mark the points at which the microgel size and surface charge, respectively, undergo significant alterations in response to temperature. Here, we investigate this phenomenon, employing dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrophoretic light scattering (ELS) measurements to characterize the size and electrophoretic mobility response of pNIPAM microgels with different crosslinking densities as a function of temperature. By analyzing the observed trends in the difference between the transition temperatures, we aim to develop a hypothesis that provides a deeper physical understanding of the microgel structure and its relationship to transition temperatures. This investigation thus sheds light on the intricate interplay between microgel structure and its thermoresponsive behavior, offering insights for the design and optimization of pNIPAM microgels for future applications.
title Role of softness on transition temperatures for pNIPAM microgels
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.02490