Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 58: Gels, Polymer Networks and Elastomers III

CPP 58.6: Vortrag

Freitag, 13. März 2026, 12:45–13:00, ZEU/0255

Photo-responsive microgels as model systems with tunable crosslinking density — •Dominik Wöll and Christian Metzen — Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University

Functional microgels have powerful applications due to their specific structure, which can quickly respond to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, ionic strength, solvent composition, and light. We synthesized double-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels that react to both light and temperature. The light responsiveness is achieved by the addition of photoswitchable trans-azobenzene (Azo) units that crosslink with the corresponding β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) units copolymerized into the microgel. Irradiation with light causes switching from trans-Azo to cis-Azo and thus opening of the crosslink. With the wavelength of light, and the corresponding photostationary state, the crosslinking density in these microgels can be precisely controlled with light. This model system allows us to investigate the influence of crosslinking density on the structure and properties of microgels.

Keywords: microgels; crosslinking; photoswitching; super-resolution fluroescence microscopy; photochemistry