Microgels potential applications

Abd El-Rehim HA (2005) Swelling of radiation crosslinked acrylamide-based microgels and their potential applications. Radiat Phys Chem 74(2) 111-117... 

Since Pelton and Chibante reported the synthesis of the first temperature-sensitive microgel from iV-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and crosslinker in 1986 [74], responsive microgels have attracted numerous attempts to explore their potential application in many fields, such as sensing and drug delivery [75]. Now the most extensively studied respruisive microgels are prepared with poly(fV-isopropyla-crylamide) (PNIPAM) [2], It is weU known that the phase transition temperature of PNIPAM is about 32°C [76], When r< LCST, the PNIPAM chain is soluble in water as a random cod. When r LCST, the subtle balance between PNIPAM and water is broken and phase transition occurs [77]. However, the single-molecule level mechanism of the phase transition of PNIPAM had not been proposed until very recently. 

M icrogel particles may swell or deswell in the presence of other species, in addition to small ions or added co-solvent molecules. This is of particular relevance in their potential application as controlled uptake/release systems, which is the main focus of this review. In the following sections we discuss this aspect of microgel particles, in particular in the context of active species used in biomedical and industrial applications. 

As with the uptake of other types of active species discussed in this chapter, microgel particle/nanoparticle composite materials show a large range of potential applications, making this whole field of microgel particle uptake and release a rapidly developing area. 

Such microgel nanoparticles with varying gelatin concentration and crosslinking density have a high potential for use in drug delivery applications. The gelatin nanoparticles can also be used as template particles for the formulation of apatite... 

Modern concepts in polymer chemistry are based on complex molecular architectures. In this way, some new functions such as self-organisation, adaptability and self-healing can be realised in synthetic materials of different dimensions and complexity. Colloidal polymer networks (nano- or microgels) are unique 3-D polymer structures with tuneable properties and enormous application potential. 

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