Solvent-induced aggregation of regioregular head-to-tail poly(3-alkylthiophene)s (PATs) have been studied by means of AFM and UV−vis spectroscopy. In hexane, which is a good solvent for alkyl side chains but poor for polythiophene backbones, PAT molecules undergo ordered main-chain collapse driven by solvophobic interaction. Well-pronounced concentration-independent red shift of λ max and good resolved fine vibronic structure in the electronic absorption spectra observed upon addition of hexane indicate that planarization occurs on the singlemolecule level. A helical conformation of the man chain of PATs with 12 thiophene rings per each helical turn has been proposed. At the higher concentration of PATs the collapsed molecules undergo unexpected one-dimensional aggregation. Length of the particles varies from several nanometers to several hundreds nanometers and can be easily adjusted by the solvent composition or concentration of PATs.

Novel temperature- and pH-responsive microgels based on poly(vinylcaprolactam-co-acetoacetoxy methacrylate) (VCL/AAEM) functionalized with vinylimidazole (VIm) has been prepared in aqueous medium using simple batch dispersion polymerization procedure. Obtained microgel particles are characterized by narrow particle size distribution and their hydrodynamic radius can be varied from 200 to 500 nm (pH = 6, T = 20 °C). The T- and pH-sensitivity of obtained particles can be easily tuned by the variation of the Vim content in the copolymer structure. Increase of VIm content in the microgel structure led to increased swelling of the microgels in acidic medium and strong shift of the volume phase transition temperature to higher temperatures. It has been found that sedimentation behavior of obtained microgels is strongly pH-dependent, and this effect can be used for controlled particle separation.

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In the present paper, we report the preparation of hybrid temperature-sensitive microgels which include magnetite nanoparticles in their structure. Polymeric microgels have been prepared by surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization of acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate (AAEM) and N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) in water with a water-soluble azo-initiator. The obtained microgels possess a low critical solution temperature (LCST) in water solutions, with a rapid decrease of the particle size being observed at elevated temperatures. Magnetite was deposited directly into microgels, leading to the formation of composite particles which combine both temperature-sensitive and magnetic properties. The influence of magnetite load on microgel size, morphology, swelling-deswelling behavior, and stability is discussed.

Summary: A series of high clay content Laponite XLS/polyacrylamide (PAAm) nanocomposite hydrogels (S‐M gels) with excellent resilience, low elastic hysteresis, and ultrahigh elongation, have been successfully synthesized. Based on our results, it is concluded that the mechanical properties of nanocomposite hydrogels probably depend to a great extent on the hydrophilicity and flexibility of the macromolecules. Moreover, it is found that the transparency during the in‐situ polymerization of S‐M gels does not change, which is quite different from clay/poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) nanocomposite hydrogels.

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The adsorption and self‐organisation process of alkyl‐phosphonic acids and phosphoric acid monoalkyl esters on technical aluminium surfaces have been investigated by different surface sensible techniques: Grazing angle FT‐IR‐ spectroscopy, angle dependent XPS and Auger‐ spectroscopy. The aim of these studies was to replace the present technical procedure for pretreatment of aluminum surfaces with Chromate acid in order to improve the corrosion inhibition and the coating adhesion. The ability for self‐assembly is given by substances which have a surface reactive group and a long‐aliphatic or aromatic spacer and a supramolecular order is built‐up between these spacers. The results show that these molecules are able to adsorb spontaneously onto the aluminum surface and subsequently a structured molecular order is formed. These effects were confirmed by industrial linked adhesion and corrosion tests.