Controlled Synthesis of Uniform, Micrometer-Sized Ruthenium-Functionalized Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Gel Particles and their Application to the Catalysis of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction

Ruthenium-functionalized poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-based chemically oscillating microgels with diameters between 1 and 6 mu m are synthesized by a modified precipitation polymerization approach. It is found that the initial amount of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) can significantly affect the final sizes of the microgels. 2.5 g of initial NIPAAm results in microgels with maximum average diameter of approximate to 6 +/- 0.5 mu m. Making use of their fluorescence due to their ruthenium contents and their larger sizes compared to microgels prepared using other traditional methods, the impact of changes in the NaBrO3 concentrations on their microscopic behavior is studied using a combination of fluorescence microscopy and dynamic light scattering techniques. When increasing the concentration of NaBrO3 in a solution, the microgels first experience a decrease in size followed by aggregation that leads to the loss of colloidal stability. Finally, the redox potential behavior and optical performance of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction catalyzed by these microgels are studied by electrochemical and spectroscopic means.