A6

Surface-bound microgels & microgel superstructures – synthesis, switching and imaging

The binding of microgels to surfaces will enable us to create new microgel superstructures and to investigate the structural properties of microgels and the transport within them with advanced microscopic methods. The directed binding of microgels to surfaces will be facilitated through DNA functionalization, whereby DNA hybridization provides a stimuli-responsiveness in addition to, and independently of, the one of the volume phase transition of the microgels. Thereby, reversible and stimuli-responsive crosslinks can be formed via DNA hybridization, as well, allowing for a control of the mechanical properties of microgels.

Principle Investigators

Simon, Ulrich, Prof. Dr.
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
RWTH Aachen University
+49 241 80 94644
ulrich.simon@ac.rwth-aachen.de

Wöll, Dominik, Prof. Dr.
Institute of Physical Chemistry
RWTH Aachen University
+49 241 80 98624
woell@pc.rwth-aachen.de