Microstructure and rheological properties of thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels

The microstructure and rheological properties of thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels cross-linked with methylenebis-acrylamide (BA) were examined by dynamic light scattering and rheological techniques. As the temperature was increased from 10 to 50 °C, the particles diameter decreased by approximately two times near the volume phase transition temperature, Tv of between 30 and 35 °C. The addition of salt to the …