Beschreibung
Smart microgel membranes have a wide range of applications. They can be used for water treatment or gas separation due to their ability to change their gating behaviour.(1) To form membranes from microgels, a secondary crosslinker is required. Different types of secondary crosslinkers require different types of comonomers. In this case 2-hydroxy-4-(methacryloyloxy)-benzophenone (HMABP, Figure 1) is used as a comonomer with N isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), which is activated by UV light.(2)
For a better understanding of the membrane formation of secondary cross-linkable microgels, the microgel structure should be customisable. We can thus follow in different solvents if this distribution changes as a function of synthesis conditions, and how it can be made, e.g., more homogeneous, or specifically heterogeneous, with all the UV crosslinkers on the outside. The localisation of the crosslinker is crucial. Therefor SANS contrast matching experiments can be performed. (3)
Acknowledgements: The DFG and the ANR are thanked for funding the "SmartBrane" project.
References
(1) Uredat, Stefanie et al. ”A review of stimuli-responsive polymer-based gating membranes” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 26, 2732-2744, 2024.
(2) Dirksen, Maxim et al. “UV cross-linked smart microgel membranes as free-standing diffusion barriers and nanoparticle bearing catalytic films.” RSC advances, 11,36, 22014-22024, 2021.
(3) Cors, Marian et al. “Determination of Internal Density Profiles of Smart Acrylamide-Based Microgels by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering: A Multishell Reverse Monte Carlo Approach” Langmuir 2018, 34, 50, 15403–15415, 2018
Acknowledgements: The DFG and the ANR are thanked for funding the "SmartBrane" project.
References
1 Uredat, Stefanie et al. ”A review of stimuli-responsive polymer-based gating membranes” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 26, 2732-2744, 2024.
[2] Dirksen, Maxim et al. “UV cross-linked smart microgel membranes as free-standing diffusion barriers and nanoparticle bearing catalytic films.” RSC advances vol. 11,36 22014-22024, 2021.
