This work studies the kinetics of crystallization charged microgels suspensions Poly-N-Isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) at low ionic strength. The liquid-crystal transition is induced by suddenly decreasing temperature microgel dispersion, and process monitored measuring temporal evolution static structure factor dispersion using light scattering. We find that crystal growth rate, indicated crystal...

We report development of a polymer gel with a catalytic activity that can be switched on and off when the solvent composition is changed. The gel consists of two species of monomers. The major component, N-isopropylacrylamide, makes the gel swell and shrink in response to a change in composition of ethanol/water mixtures. The minor component, vinylimidazole, which is capable of catalysis, is co...

The synthesis, characterization and property evaluation of drug-loaded polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) relevant to multimodal cancer therapy has been studied. The hyperthermia and controlled drug release characteristics of these particles was examined. Magnetite (Fe(3)O(4))-poly-n-(isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) composite MNPs were synthesized in a core-shell morphology by dispersio...

This paper describes the double phase transition behavior of a thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brush at the surface of a hydrophobic core. Reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) was conducted by using a hyperbranched polyester (Boltorn H40) based macroRAFT agent. The resultant multiarm star block copolymer (H40-PNI...

Patterned poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes were fabricated on oxidized silicon wafers by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide from a micropatterned initiator. The patterned surface initiator was prepared by microcontact-printing octadecyltrichlorosilane and backfilling with 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane followed by amidization with 2-brom...

Two temperature sensitive drug carriers, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PNIPA-co-AA) and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide-vinyl pyrrolidone-acrylic acid) (PNIPA-VP-AA), were successfully synthesized through free radical mechanism. The diameters of PNIPA-co-AA and PNIPA-VP-AA particles can be regulated to be less than 100 nm, which were related to surfactant sodiumdodecyl sulfate and i...

Gold nanoparticles with a graft density of 0.09, 0.30 and 0.40chains/nm2 of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were reproducibly synthesized by varying the ratio of disulfide terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) to gold nanoparticle. The polymer coated nanoparticles were stable at room temperature in 50mM NaCl, yet agglomerated at 37°C. Previous studies have observed conflicting results as to the re...

Hyperbranched poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s (HBPNIPAMs) end-capped with different azobenzene chromophores (HBPNIPAM-Azo-OC3H7, HBPNIPAM-Azo-OCH3, HBPNIPAM-Azo, and HBPNIPAM-Azo-COOH) were successfully synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide using different azobenzene-functional initiators. All HBPNIPAMs showed a similar highly branched structure, simil...