Interactions involved in the permeation and distribution of ions and biomolecules inside charged microgels

Abstract

In 1949 Baker described a group of polybutadiene particles of nanometric size with the ability to swell in organic solvents in a paper entitled “Microgel, a new macromolecule”. This is the first reported use of the term microgel, although it is thought that Staudinger and Husemann were the first to prepare microgel particles in the decade of the 1930’s. In contrast to the vague origin of these particles, nowadays microgels are well stablished responsive materials in the field of polymer science. The aim of this chapter is to present a brief description of microgel suspensions, as well as their main features and applications within the framework of this thesis.