With the development of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy new opportunities to explore the nanoscale became accessible. The methods originally developed for biological systems have gained importance also in materials and polymer science. Localization-based super-resolution fluorescence microscopy methods were applied to address different topics concerning stimuli-responsive microgels,1,2 an interesting class of hydrogel particles with high potential for many applications (e.g. (bio-)catalysis, drug-delivery, tissue engineering, sensors, advanced bioimaging, extraction processes, responsive membranes, etc.). Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy assisted us in analyzing compartmentalization,3 cross-linking,4 and local environment5 inside microgels, as well as the deformation of microgels at different surfaces.6
The talk will outline a selection of our results and discuss the power of super-resolution microscopy to address relevant topics in microgels and, generally, in polymer science.
Acknowledgements
We thank the German Research Foundation for funding via SFB 985 (projects A6, C5 and G3) and all our cooperation partners for fruitful discussions.