Data Set to „Closing the 1-5 µm Size Gap: Temperature-programmed, Fed-batch Synthesis of µm-sized Microgels”

Microgels below 1 µm and above 20 µm are readily accessible; however, obtaining them in size 1-10 µm still remains a challenge. We present a surfactant-free precipitation polymerization approach, combining temperature-ramp (T-ramp) and fed-batch, generating 1-5 µm in diameter poly(N-Vinylcaprolactam) (pVCL) microgels. Confocal microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirm that the size of temperature-responsive pVCL microgels can be adjusted by the feeding ratio. The experimentally determined microgel sizes match well the model-based predictions. The developed synthesis method achieves high monomer conversions and provides high microgel yields as determined by Raman spectroscopy.