Anisotropic compartmentalized functional microgels

RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen)

Abstract

This dissertation explores the design, synthesis, and characterization of temperature-responsive microgels incorporating liquid crystalline (LC) and peptide motifs, with a focus on anisotropic and asymmetric structures and supramolecular crosslinking strategies. The work aims to expand the knowledge of functional soft materials by integrating responsive, anisotropic, and bioinspired elements into microgels, creating compartmentalized structures. In the first chapter, microgels with various anisotropic shapes, including dumbbell, multi-lobe, and raspberry structures, are synthesized via precipitation polymerization by integrating LC domains, highlighting how monomer composition and variation of reaction parameters influence internal morphology and microgel shape. The second chapter introduces the use of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and supramolecular crosslinking strategies to direct the assembly of LC polymers in microgels. Therefore, three different microgel synthesis approaches are pursued: incorporation of synthesized LC-macromonomers, synthesized LC-RAFT-polymers, and LC-monomers. While the LC-macromonomers are incorporated together with a covalent crosslinker, the LC-RAFT-polymers and LC-monomers function as non-covalent crosslinking motifs. The third chapter investigates microgel formation via non-covalent crosslinking mechanisms using peptide-based monomers. Therefore, short, self-assembling peptide motifs are used to mediate microgel formation, providing a novel route to stimuli-responsive microgels. Collectively, this work advances the understanding of microgel formation via both covalent and non-covalent strategies and establishes new pathways for the fabrication of anisotropic, dynamic, and functional soft matter systems. The findings offer promising directions for future applications in targeted delivery, sensors, and soft actuators.

Authors 1

1. Nadja Wolter corresponding Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen