Vittoria Chimisso et al.
Soft matter, 17(3), 715-723 (2020-11-22)
Anionic poly(vinylcaprolactam-co-itaconicacid-co-dimethylitaconate) microgels were synthesized via dispersion polymerization and their responsiveness towards cations, namely Mg2+, Sr2+, Cu2+ and Fe3+, was investigated. The itaconic moieties chelate the metal ions which act as a crosslinker and decrease the electrostatic repulsion within the