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Temperature-programmed synthesis of micron-sized multi-responsive microgels

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Abstract

A new synthetic protocol for the synthesis of large diameter (2.5 to 5 μm), temperature-, and pH-responsive microgels via aqueous surfactant-free radical precipitation copolymerization is presented. We have found that in this size range, which is not typically attainable using traditional dispersion polymerization approaches, excellent monodispersity and size control are achieved when the synthesis employs a programmed temperature ramp from 45 to 65 °C during the nucleation stage of the polymerization. A combined kinetic and thermodynamic hypothesis for large particle formation under these conditions is described. Particle sizes, volume phase transition temperatures, and pH responsivity were characterized by particle tracking and photon correlation spectroscopy to illustrate their similar behavior to particles made via more traditional routes. These particles have been enabling for various studies in our group where microscopic visualization of the particles is required.

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Acknowledgment

This manuscript is dedicated to Professor Haruma Kawaguchi on the occasion of his retirement from Keio University. LAL acknowledges funding from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control.

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  1. School of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0400, USA

    Zhiyong Meng, Michael H. Smith & L. Andrew Lyon

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  1. Zhiyong Meng
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  2. Michael H. Smith
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  3. L. Andrew Lyon
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Correspondence to L. Andrew Lyon.

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Meng, Z., Smith, M.H. & Lyon, L.A. Temperature-programmed synthesis of micron-sized multi-responsive microgels. Colloid Polym Sci 287, 277–285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-008-1986-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-008-1986-8

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