Smart microgels investigated by super-resolution fluorescence microscopy: influence of the monomer structure on the particle morphology

Abstract

In a recent publication [Bergmann et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 5074–5083] we presented a method which enables to investigate the morphology of microgels by superresolution fluorescence microscopy. Here, this method is applied to three microgel species, based on N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAM), N-n-propylacrylamide (NNPAM) and N-n-propylmethacrylamide (NNPMAM)) with 5, 7.5 and 10 mol% cross-linker, respectively. Super-resolution microscopy reveals differences of the network morphology of the synthesized particles showing the importance of the monomer structure.