Interfacial Engineering of Thermoresponsive Microgel Capsules: Polymeric Wetting vs Colloidal Adhesion

Facile Preparation of a Low-Cost Liquid Interlayer Material with Intelligent UV-NIR-Shielding Function for Smart Windows

High-performance interlayer materials have garnered considerable interest owing to their low manufacturing costs and applicability in smart windows. In this study, a novel smart-window interlayer material capable of selective shielding against both near-infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation is developed based on the light transmittance control mechanism. An excellent thermoresponsive liquid, denoted as CDs@TRL (viz., carbon quantum dots at thermal-responsive liquid), is synthesized by compositing biomass-based fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CDs) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) at natural ambient temperature and in an aqueous phase. Due to the characteristics of CDs and synergistic effect of hydrogen bonds, CDs@TRL exhibits a high specific heat capacity (4.41 kJ kg-1 K-1), large thermal storage capacity (264.6 kJ kg-1), and better UV-NIR-blocking properties, compared to pure pNIPAM, as well as improves the sensitivity of thermal response. When injected into a window as a liquid interlayer, CDs@TRL can intelligently adjust the light transmittance according to ambient light intensity to achieve an intelligent response. The shielding rate of a 10 mm-thick CDs@TRL composite liquid against UV radiation (200-400 nm) was more than 95% in an overcast environment with insufficient light and close to 100% in a well-lighted environment. In addition, CDs@TRL is a cost-effective material that can be prepared from a wide range of raw material sources using a simple preparation process and exhibits excellent mobility and recyclability. Because of these features, it is considered to be a promising candidate for developing energy-saving and climate-adapted smart windows.

Engulfing Behavior of Nanoparticles into Thermoresponsive Microgels: A Mesoscopic Simulation Study

The engulfing of nanoparticles into microgels provides a versatile platform to design nano- and microstructured materials with various shape anisotropies and multifunctional properties. Manipulating the spontaneous engulfment process remains elusive. Herein, we report a mesoscopic simulation study on the engulfing behavior of nanoparticles into thermoresponsive microgels. The effects of the multiple parameters, including binding strength, temperature, and nanoparticle size, are examined systematically. Our simulation results disclose three engulfing states at different temperatures, namely full-engulfing, half-engulfing, and surface contact. The engulfing depth is determined by the complementary balance of interfacial elastocapillarity. Specifically, the van der Waals interaction of hybrid microgel-nanoparticle offers the capillary force while the internally networked structure of microgel reinforces the elasticity repulsion. Our study, validated by relevant experimental results, provides a mechanistic understanding of the interfacial elastocapillarity for nanoparticle-microgels.

Temperature-sensitive soft microgels at interfaces: air-water versus oil-water

The formation of smart emulsions or foams whose stability can be controlled on-demand by switching external parameters is of great interest for basic research and applications. An emerging group of smart stabilizers are microgels, which are nano- and micro-sized, three-dimensional polymer networks that are swollen by a good solvent. In the last decades, the influence of various external stimuli on the two-dimensional phase behavior of microgels at air- and oil-water interfaces has been studied. However, the impact of the top-phase itself has been barely considered. Here, we present data that directly address the influence of the top-phase on the microgel properties at interfaces. The dimensions of pNIPAM microgels are measured after deposition from two interfaces, i.e., air- and decane-water. While the total in-plane size of the microgel increases with increasing interfacial tension, the portions or fractions of the microgels situated in the aqueous phase are not affected. We correlate the area microgels occupy to the surface tensions of the interfaces, which allows to estimate an elastic modulus. In comparison to nanoindentation measurements, we observe a larger elastic modulus for the microgels. By combining compression, deposition, and visualization, we show that the two-dimensional phase behavior of the microgel monolayers is not altered, although the microgels have a larger total in-plane size at higher interfacial tension.

Mechanochemical Cellular Membrane Internalization of Nanohydrogels: A Large-Scale Mesoscopic Simulation

By combining large-scale dissipative particle dynamics and steered molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the mechanochemical cellular internalization pathways of homogeneous and heterogeneous nanohydrogels and demonstrate that membrane internalization is determined by the crosslink density and encapsulation ability of nanohydrogels. The homogeneous nanohydrogels with a high crosslink density and low encapsulation ability behave as soft nanoparticles partially wrapped by the membrane, while those with a low crosslink density and high encapsulation ability permeate into the membrane. Regardless of the crosslink density, the homogeneous nanohydrogels undergo typical dual morphological deformations. The local lipid nanodomains are identified at the contacting region between the membrane and nanohydrogels because of different diffusion behaviors between lipid and receptor molecules during the internalization process. The yolk@shell heterogeneous nanohydrogels present a different mechanochemical cellular internalization pathway. The yolk with strong affinity is directly in contact with the membrane, resulting in partial membrane wrapping, and the contacting area is much reduced when compared to homogenous nanohydrogels, leading to a smaller lipid nanodomain and thus avoiding related cellular toxicity. Our findings provide a critical mechanism understanding of the biological pathways of nanohydrogels and may guide the molecular design of the hydrogel-based materials for controlled release drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell culture.

Controlling microgel deformation via deposition method and surface functionalization of solid supports

Soft matter at solid-liquid interfaces plays an important role in multiple scientific disciplines as well as in various technological fields. For microgels, representing highly interesting soft matter systems, we demonstrate that the preparation method, i.e. the way how the microgel is applied to the specific surface, plays a key role. Focusing on the three most common sample preparation methods (spin-coating, drop-casting and adsorption from solution), we performed a comparative study of the deformation behavior of microgels at the solid-liquid interface on three different surfaces with varying hydrophilicities. For in situ visualization of the deformation of pNIPMAM microgels, we conducted highly sensitive 3D super resolution fluorescence microscopy methods. We furthermore performed complementary molecular dynamics simulations to determine the driving force responsible for the deformation depending on the surface and the deposition method. The combination of experiments and simulations revealed that the simulated equilibrium structure obtained after simulation of the completely dry microgel after deposition is retained after rehydration and subsequent fluorescent imaging.

Fractal-Like Kinetics of Adsorption Applied to the Solid/Solution Interface

In this paper, the fractal-like multiexponential (f-mexp) equation was modified by introducing the fractional fractal exponent to each stage of the adsorption process. The new equation was used for the analysis of kinetic adsorption of copper onto treated attapulgite. The modeling results show that the modified f-mexp equation fits properly the kinetic data in comparison with the classical and fractal-like kinetic models tested. The effect of varying the initial concentration of the adsorbate on the kinetic parameters was analyzed. Artificial neural networks were applied for the prediction of adsorption efficiency. Outcomes indicate that the multilayer perceptron neural network can predict the removal of copper from aqueous solutions more accurately under different experimental conditions than the single-layer feedforward neural network. Single-site and multisite occupancy adsorption models were used for the analysis of experimental adsorption equilibrium data of copper onto treated attapulgite. The modeling results show that there is no multisite occupancy effect and that the equilibrium data fit well the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm.

A coil-to-globule transition capable coarse-grained model for poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

We present a model for mesoscopic molecular dynamics simulations of poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (pNIPAM).

Tuning the Structure and Properties of Ultra-Low Cross-Linked Temperature-Sensitive Microgels at Interfaces via the Adsorption Pathway

The structure of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels adsorbed onto a solid substrate is investigated in the dry and hydrated states by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). We compare two different systems: a regularly cross-linked microgel containing 5 mol % cross-linker and ultra-low cross-linked microgels (ULC) prepared without a dedicated cross-linker. Furthermore, we compare three different adsorption processes: (i) in situ adsorption from solution, (ii) spin-coating, and (iii) Langmuir-Blodgett deposition from an oil-water interface. The results demonstrate that the morphology and the temperature-induced collapse of microgels adsorbed onto a solid substrate are very different for ultra-low cross-linked microgels as compared to regularly cross-linked microgels, despite the fact that their general behavior in solution is very similar. Furthermore, the morphology of ULC microgels can be controlled by the adsorption pathway onto the substrate. Absorbed ULC microgels are strongly deformed when being prepared either by spin-coating or by Langmuir-Blodgett deposition from an oil-water interface. After rehydration, the ULC microgels cannot collapse as entire objects, instead small globules are formed. Such a strong deformation can be avoided by in situ adsorption onto the substrate. Then, the ULC microgels exhibit half-ellipsoidal shapes with a smooth surface in the collapsed state similar to the more cross-linked microgels. As ULC microgels can be selectively trapped either in a more particle-like or in a more polymer-like behavior, coatings with strongly different topographies and properties can be prepared by one and the same ultra-low cross-linked microgel. This provides new opportunities for the development of smart polymeric coatings.

Membrane Wrapping Pathway of Injectable Hydrogels: From Vertical Capillary Adhesion to Lateral Compressed Wrapping

Membrane wrapping pathway of injectable hydrogels (IHs) plays a vital role in the nanocarrier effectiveness and biomedical safety. Although considerable progress in understanding this complicated process has been made, the mechanism behind this process has remained elusive. Herein, with the help of large-scale dissipative particle dynamics simulations, we explore the molecular mechanism of membrane wrapping by systematically examining the IH architectures and hydrogel-lipid binding strengths. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the membrane wrapping pathway on which IHs transform from vertical capillary adhesion to lateral compressed wrapping. This transformation results from the elastocapillary deformation of networked gels and nanoscale confinement of the bilayer membrane, and it takes long time for the IHs to be fully wrapped owing to the high energy barriers and wrapping-induced shape deformation. Collapsed morphologies and small compressed angles are identified in the IH capsules with a thick shell or strong binding strength to lipids. In addition, the IHs binding intensively to the membrane exhibit special nanoscale mixing and favorable deformability during the wrapping process. Our study provides a detailed mechanistic understanding of the influence of architecture and binding strength on the IH membrane wrapping efficiency. This work may serve as rational guidance for the design and fabrication of IH-based drug carriers and tissue engineering.