Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 26: French-German Session: 2D Materials, Thin Films and Interfaces II

CPP 26.4: Talk

Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 15:00–15:15, HÜL/S386

PNIPAM Microgel-Stabilized Foam Films: Effect of Crosslinking Content — •Luca Mirau, Joanne Zimmer, Kevin Gräff, Matthias Kühnhammer, and Regine von Klitzing — Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, TU Darmstadt, Germany

Aqueous foams find widespread application in fields such as cosmetics, the food industry, oil recovery and fire-fighting. Their stabilization requires the presence of surface-active molecules or colloidal particles. In this study, thermoresponsive microgels (MGs) composed of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) with varying crosslinker contents are applied as foam stabilizers, resulting in temperature-sensitive foams. Foam films serve as the fundamental building blocks of foams. The structuring of MGs within these films is analyzed using the Thin Film Pressure Balance (TFPB) technique. Foam films are formed within a pressure chamber, and their thickness is determined through interferometric methods under a light microscope. The foam films display an inhomogeneous structure, characterized by network-like, several 100nm thick regions containing MGs, interspersed with thin MG-depleted zones less than 100nm thick. We show how the cross-linker density of the microgels affect the MG layering within these thick network regions, influencing the film thickness. Another question we answer is how the MG-free areas are stabilized.

Keywords: Microgels; Foam films; Foams; Thin Film Pressure Balance