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Colloidal crystallization of thermo-sensitive gel spheres of poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide). Influence of degree of cross-linking of the gels

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Abstract

Morphology, phase diagram, and reflection spectroscopy of the colloidal crystals of thermo-sensitive gel spheres, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) having degrees of cross-linking 10 and 2 mol.% (pNIPAm(200–10) and pNIPAm(200–2)) were studied. Giant colloidal single crystals formed at very low gel concentrations. Critical concentrations of melting increased as the degree of cross-linking decreased in the range from 10 to 0.5 mol.% and/or suspension temperature increased from 20 to 45 °C. The critical concentration decreased sharply as the suspensions were deionized with coexistence of the mixtures of cation- and anion-exchange resins. Density of a gel sphere (gel concentration in weight percent divided by that in volume percent) increased sharply as the degree of cross-linking and/or temperature increased. These results demonstrated that the colloidal crystallization takes place by the extended electrical double layers formed around the gel spheres in addition of the excluded-volume effect of the gels. Most of the researchers including the authors have believed that the crystallization of the gel spheres takes place by the excluded-volume effect. However, the present work clarified that the colloidal interfaces, which are inevitable for the formation of the electrical double layers, are formed firmly between the water phase and gel spheres, though the gel spheres contain a lot of water molecules in the sphere region.

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Acknowledgments

D.S. acknowledges Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (22685024). Financial supports to T.O. from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan for Exploratory Research and those to D.S., T.O., and A.T. from Japan Society for the promotion of Science for Scientific Research (B) are highly appreciated. The research funds from REX Co. (Tokyo) to T.O. are thanked deeply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Young Researchers Empowerment Center, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan

    Daisuke Suzuki

  2. Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano, 386-8567, Japan

    Daisuke Suzuki, Koji Horigome & Tomoyo Yamagata

  3. Department of Applied Chemistry, Gifu University, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan

    Kiyoshi Shibata & Akira Tsuchida

  4. Institute for Colloidal Organization, Hatoyama 3-1-112, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0012, Japan

    Tsuneo Okubo

Authors
  1. Daisuke Suzuki
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  2. Koji Horigome
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  3. Tomoyo Yamagata
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  4. Kiyoshi Shibata
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  5. Akira Tsuchida
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  6. Tsuneo Okubo
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Correspondence to Tsuneo Okubo.

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Suzuki, D., Horigome, K., Yamagata, T. et al. Colloidal crystallization of thermo-sensitive gel spheres of poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide). Influence of degree of cross-linking of the gels. Colloid Polym Sci 289, 1799–1808 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-011-2499-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-011-2499-4

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