Quantitative Characterization of Microscopic Variations in the Cross-Link Density of Gels

We report the visualization and quantitative analysis of the cross-link structure in model core/shell hydrogel polymers on the microscopic scale, in a fully swollen state, using soft X-ray microscopy. The cross-link density in these materials and their microscopic or even nanoscopic variation critically influence materials characteristics, yet the cross-link density is difficult to characterize by conventional methods. By the use of soft X-ray …