Preface
 
PART ONE INTRODUCTION AND PERSPECTIVE
1 Soft Microgels and Nanogels from a Physico-Chemical Perspective
2 Perspective on the Translational Potential of Responsive Micro- and Nanogels
 
PART TWO SYNTHESIS
3 Amphiphilic Random Copolymer Micelles: Design, Self-Assembly, and Functional Materials
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Design and Synthesis of Amphiphilic Random Copolymers
3.3 Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Random Copolymers
3.4 Self-Sorting and Co-Self-Assembly of Binary Mixtures
3.5 Self-Healing and Selectively Adhesive Hydrogels
3.6 Functional Nanoaggregates
3.7 Conclusion
 
4 Advances in Synthesis of Functional Colloidal Gels
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Template-Free Synthesis Methods
4.3 Template-Based Synthesis Methods
4.4 Conclusions
 
PART THREE CHARACTERIZATION
 
5 Polymeric Microgels: Insights from Light Scattering, Electron Microscopy, and Optical Superresolution Techniques
5.1 Outline
5.2 COMMON THERMOSENSITIVE PNIPAM MICROGELS
5.3 CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR MICROGELS
5.4 CASE STUDIES
5.5 CONCLUSIONS
 
6 Formation and Shear Yielding Dynamics of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Based Colloidal Gels
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Single microgel properties
6.3 Criteria of colloidal gelation
6.4 Shear yielding behavior of dilute colloidal gels
6.5 Conclusions
 
7 Structural characterization of microgels by means of neutron scattering, reflectometry, and computer simulations
7.1 Softness
7.2 Principles of small-angle scattering
7.3 In silico microgels
7.4 Microgel architecture in dilute suspensions
7.5 Microgel architecture in concentrated suspensions
7.6 Determination of the microgel elastic moduli
7.7 Microgel architecture at the interface studied by neutron reflectometry
7.8 Final remarks and outlooks
 
8 Dynamic and direct visualization of the nanostructure and functions of microgels via high-speed atomic force microscopy
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Evaluation of the inhomogeneous nanostructure in microgels
8.3 Real-time visualization of the microgel function
8.4 Surface characterization of microgels using force?indentation curves
8.5 Outlook
 
9 The analysis of the dynamics of microgels and their assemblies using light scattering techniques
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Model Microgels
9.3 Dilute Concentration Region
9.4 Intermediate Concentration Region
9.5 High Concentration Region
9.6 Conclusions
 
10 Computer Simulations of Nano- and Microgel Systems
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Nano- and microgels at the mesoscale
10.3 Nano- and microgels at other scales
10.4 Outlook
 
11 Electrophoresis of micro/nano gels
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Brinkman-Debye-Bueche model
11.3 Electric potential distribution across a gel layer
11.4 Large gel particle with a planar core surface
11.5 Electrophoresis of a spherical gel
11.6 Electrophoretic mobility of a weakly charged spherical gel particle
11.7 Relaxation effect
11.8 pH-dependent electrophoretic mobility of a gel particle
11.9 Electrophoresis of a gel particle in a polymer gel medium
 
PART FOUR INTERFACE AND ASSEMBLY
 
12 Microgel Assembly: From Bulk Phases to Interfaces
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Microgel Assembly in Bulk Phases
12.3 Microgel Assembly at Interfaces
12.4 Influencing Factors of Microgel Assembly at Oil?Water Interfaces
12.5 Microgel Assembly for Stabilizing Biphasic Systems
12.6 Applications of Microgel Assembly at the Interface
12.7 Conclusions and Perspectives
 
13 Micro/Nano gels at fluid interfaces: single-particle properties and collective behavior
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Single-particle conformation
13.3 Microgel monolayers
13.4 Applications
13.5 Summary and perspective
 
14 Interfacial behavior of microgels revealed via direct visual