Ethylene glycol-based microgels at solid surfaces: swelling behavior and control of particle number density

The adsorption of ethylene glycol (EG)-based microgel particles at silicon surfaces was investigated. Monodisperse p-MeO2MA-co-OEGMA microgel particles were synthesized by precipitation polymerization. Particle size and the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) can be tailored by changing the amount of comonomer. The effect of geometrical confinement on the microgel particles was studied at the solid/liquid interface. Therefore, layer formation, particle number density, and swelling/deswelling at the surface were studied in dependence on the spin-coating preparation parameters and characterized by means of AFM against ambient conditions. The deswelling/swelling behavior was investigated by AFM in the water-swollen state.