Temperature-sensitive aqueous microgels.

An account of the preparation and characterization of temperature-sensitive aqueous microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was first published in 1986. Since then there has been a steady increase in the number of publications describing preparation, characterization and applications of temperature-sensitive microgels. This paper reviews the important developments in the area of temperature-sensitive aqueous microgels over the last decade. Although most of the work involves gels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), other polymers are also considered. Core-shell latex particles exhibiting temperature-sensitive properties are also described.