title: Temperature response of PNIPAM derivatives at planar surfaces: comparison between polyelectrolyte multilayers and adsorbed microgels.
abstract: Two strategies for the design of thermosensitive coatings based on poly-N-isopropyl acrylamide (PNIPAM) derivatives are presented: 1) polyelectrolyte multilayers containing a diblock copolymer with a large PNIPAM block and 2) adsorption of PNIPAM microgels. The multilayers show only a small but irreversible response to the increase of outer temperature due to the strong interdigitation between the charged part and the temperature-sensitive block, while the adsorbed microgels show a pronounced and reversible response. It will be shown that the microgel number density can be easily controlled at the substrate. The swelling and shrinking of two extremes in density are characterized: densely packed microgels, which are considered as a film, and individual microgels, which are able to swell and shrink also lateral to the surface.
authors.affiliation: Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 124, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burmistrova
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steitz
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Klitzing