SFB 985 on the cover of Soft Matter

Cononsolvency of thermoresponsive polymers:
where we are now and where we are going

Cononsolvency is an intriguing phenomenon where a polymer collapses in a mixture of good solvents.
This cosolvent-induced modulation of the polymer solubility has been observed in solutions of several
polymers and biomacromolecules, and finds application in areas such as hydrogel actuators, drug
delivery, compound detection and catalysis. In the past decade, there has been a renewed interest in
understanding the molecular mechanisms which drive cononsolvency with a predominant emphasis on
its connection to the preferential adsorption of the cosolvent. Significant efforts have also been made to
understand cononsolvency in complex systems such as micelles, block copolymers and thin films. In this
review, we will discuss some of the recent developments from the experimental, simulation and
theoretical fronts, and provide an outlook on the problems and challenges which are yet to be
addressed.

Swaminath Bharadwaj, Bart-Jan Niebuur, Katja Nothdurft, Walter Richtering, Nico F. A. van der Vegt and Christine M. Papadakis

DOI paper: https://doi.org/10.1039/d2sm00146b