Unusual Shell Morphologies of Responsive Amino Core-Shell Microgels Induced by pH During Shell Synthesis

Responsive microgels, a material whose volume can change in response to temperature, pH or ionic strength (in a switch-like behavior), are  of high interest for applications such as antifouling coatings, cell encapsulation, catalysis, controlled drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Thus understanding how the different steps of the fabrication process affect the microgel, is of key importance.

In this paper, the FlexAFM was used to measure the size distribution of the core-shell microgel. It was used Dynamic mode in air and the samples where dried prior to the imaging. The results demonstrated an effect of the pH during the fabrication process on the final morphology of the microgel. This allows fine-tuning the pH during the fabrication to match the desired properties of the microgel to the final application.

AFM data in this publication were obtained with FlexAFM

The FlexAFM has been the instrument of choice for hundreds of researchers in need of a reliable and versatile atomic force microscope system. Built with ease of use and configurability in mind, the capabilities of the FlexAFM cover most research needs: Configure your FlexAFM for 2D materials research in a glovebox, or integrate it with your inverted optical microscope for biological applications - no matter what your research goals are, the Nanosurf FlexAFM provides you with an affordable mid-range instrument that you can expand and upgrade as your requirements evolve.

FlexAFM
FlexAFM-camera-overview

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