Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Micelles01:30

Micelles

Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
Colloids03:22

Colloids

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
The Colloidal State01:29

The Colloidal State

The formation of a colloidal system is exemplified by an aqueous solution containing Cl− ions is introduced to another containing Ag+ ions, resulting in the precipitation of solid AgCl as extremely tiny crystals. Instead of settling out as a filterable precipitate, these crystals remain suspended in the liquid, showcasing a colloidal system.A colloidal system involves colloidal particles within the approximate range of 1 to 1000 nm in at least one dimension, dispersed in a medium called the...
Colloids and Suspensions01:17

Colloids and Suspensions

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...
Ion Exchange01:17

Ion Exchange

Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or basic...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Regenerable Biocidal Surfaces Enabled by Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Polyelectrolytes.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Degradable Cationic Polyesters with Tunable Anion-Induced Upper Critical Solution Temperature Coacervation.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same author

On-Demand Photodegradable and Thermo-Reversible, Soft, Transparent Dithioacetal Hydrogels.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2025
Same author

Microphase Separation of Poly(2-(Dimethylamino)Ethyl Methacrylate)-b-Poly(Tetrahydropyranyl Methacrylate) Diblock Copolymer Thin Films.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2025
Same author

Dextran stabilised hematite: a sustainable anode in aqueous electrolytes.

Nanoscale·2025
Same author

Interfacial interactions between DNA and polysaccharide-coated magnetic nanoparticles: Insight from simulations and experiments.

Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
09:26

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

Amphoteric core-shell microgels: contraphilic two-compartment colloidal particles.

Kostas E Christodoulakis1, Maria Vamvakaki

  • 1Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, P.O. Box 1527, 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|September 17, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Synthesized pH-responsive amphoteric core-shell microgels exhibit unique two-compartment nanostructures. These novel microgels demonstrate independent swelling of core and shell, offering tunable properties for advanced applications.

More Related Videos

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids
10:51

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids

Published on: October 13, 2021

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
09:26

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids
10:51

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids

Published on: October 13, 2021

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Amphoteric microgels are stimuli-responsive materials with potential applications in drug delivery and sensing.
  • Controlling the architecture of microgels, such as core-shell structures, is crucial for tailoring their properties.
  • Understanding the pH-responsive behavior of polyampholytes is essential for designing advanced functional materials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize and characterize pH-responsive amphoteric core-shell microgel particles.
  • To investigate the independent swelling behavior of the core and shell components in response to pH changes.
  • To compare the properties of core-shell microgels with random copolymer microgels.

Main Methods:

  • Emulsion copolymerization using 2-(Diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEA) and tert-butyl methacrylate as monomers, followed by acid hydrolysis to yield methacrylic acid (MAA) moieties.
  • Synthesis of both core-shell and random copolymer microgel architectures.
  • Characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to determine particle morphology and topology.
  • Potentiometric titration to analyze the ionization behavior and pH-responsive swelling of the microgels.

Main Results:

  • Successfully synthesized spherical core-shell microgel particles with narrow size distribution and verified core-shell topology via electron microscopy.
  • Potentiometric titration revealed distinct plateau regions for core-shell microgels, indicating independent ionization of core and shell, unlike random copolymers.
  • Core-shell microgels exhibited independent swelling of their compartments at low and high pH, collapsing at intermediate pH where both components were neutral.

Conclusions:

  • Developed novel two-compartment nanostructures with pH-responsive amphoteric core-shell microgels.
  • Demonstrated independent control over the swelling of core and shell components in response to pH.
  • These microgels possess unique contraphilic properties and offer potential for advanced applications requiring precise stimuli-responsive behavior.