The deformation of hydrogel microspheres at the air/water interface

The deformation of soft hydrogel microspheres (microgels) adsorbed at the air/water interface was investigated for the first time using large poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-basedmicrogels synthesized by a modified aqueous precipitation polymerization method. The deformation of the micron-sized soft microspheres could be visualized clearly and analyzed quantitatively at the air/water interface.