Direct Observation of the Lower Critical Solution Temperature of Surface-Attached Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels by Surface Plasmon Resonance

Abstract

The precipitation of thermo-responsive polymers from solution on heating is a well-known phenomenon. But how do such polymers behave at interfaces? By direct observation, with surface plasmon resonance, of the thermo-responsive effect of a polymer grafted to a gold surface, it was shown that the polymer undergoes a phase transition even at the interface (see picture) at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST).