基于刺激响应性聚(N-乙烯基己内酰胺)(PVCL)的微凝胶,可以对微小的外部环境变化做出反应,在生物医学和纳米技术领域引起了极大的兴趣。然而,由于其低的掺入效率和热响应性钝化,此类微凝胶的制备遇到了严峻的挑战。为了解决这些问题,我们选择3-(叔丁氧羰基)-N-乙烯基己内酰胺(TBVCL),羧基官能化的VCL衍生物,作为共聚单体开发pH/温度双响应微凝胶。TBVCL,具有类似于VCL的结构,提高掺入效率和胶体稳定性,同时减少热响应性钝化。微凝胶的体积相变温度(VPTT)可以在宽范围(19.0-49.5°C)内调节。值得注意的是,微凝胶的径向溶胀率可以通过pH调节,实现3的最大溶胀比。在不同温度或pH条件下溶解-沉淀行为的不同变化使得这些微凝胶适用于诸如智能窗户和传感器的应用。此外,这种制造具有pH可调相变温度的微凝胶的新方法证明了纳米颗粒控释的重要潜力(例如,毒品,催化剂,和量子点)以及智能纳米晶体-聚合物复合传感器的开发。
Stimuli-responsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL)-based
microgels, which could response to small external environmental changes, have attracted great interests in the fields of biomedicine and nanotechnology. However, the preparation of such
microgels meets severe challenge due to their low incorporation efficiency and thermoresponsivity passivation. To address these issues, we select 3-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-N-vinylcaprolactam (TBVCL), a carboxyl-functionalized VCL derivative, as a comonomer to develop pH/temperature dual-responsive microgels. TBVCL, with a structure similar to VCL, enhances incorporation efficiency and colloidal stability, while reducing thermoresponsivity passivation. The volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the
microgels can be adjusted over a broad range (19.0-49.5 °C). Notably, the radial swelling ratios of the
microgels can be modulated by pH, achieving a maximum swelling ratio of 3. The distinct changes in dissolution-precipitation behavior under different temperatures or pH conditions make these microgels suitable for applications such as smart windows and sensors. Furthermore, this novel approach for fabricating
microgels with pH-tunable phase-transition temperatures demonstrates significant potential for the controlled release of nanoparticles (e.g., drugs, catalysts, and quantum dots) and the development of smart nanocrystal-polymer composite sensors.