Thermally-induced glass formation from hydrogel nanoparticles

Soft Matter. 2006 Nov 15;2(12):1067-1075. doi: 10.1039/b607437e.

Abstract

Amphiphilic hydrogel nanoparticles, composed of covalently cross-linked Pluronic F127 and PEG, exhibit a temperature- and concentration-dependent gelation in water which is interpreted as a colloidal glass formation. The possible applications of these phenomena in biomaterials and controlled release are also discussed.