Responsive Polyphenol?Crosslinked Supramacromolecular Microgels with pH?Triggered Disassembly in Aqueous Solution

This work focuses on the pH-triggered disassembly of supramacromolecular microgels, which are composed temperature-responsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) and natural polyphenol tannic acid (TA). A systematic investigation microgel formation demonstrates that a retarded addition during semi-batch precipitation polymerization influences yield, chemical composition, properties microgels to great extent. Microgel properties, such as size, deformability, stability, can be easily tuned by varying ratio between both building blocks PVCL TA. Finally, at different pH temperatures their structure precisely control degradation profile. Temperatures lower than volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) (T < 32 °C) > 10 result in complete into chains TA due destruction hydrogen bonds responsible for colloidal microgel. Interestingly, above VPTT, keep integrity enhanced hydrophobic interactions polymer no longer affected changes.