An original route to develop an advanced class of microgel emulsifiers containing stimulable metallo-supramolecular instead of frozen covalent cross-links is reported. The poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNiPMAM) chains of the microgel are connected by iron(II)–bis(terpyridine) coordination supramolecular complexes that can be cleaved on demand, leading to unique properties both at interfaces and in volume. The microgel synthesis is not demanding, and the characterization of its supramolecular structure can be precisely achieved by standard methods. Singularly, interfaces of an oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by the supramolecular particles can be triggered at the molecular scale by oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III), leading to emulsion breaking. In bulk, we show that a microgel dispersion can indeed be transformed into a polymer solution upon oxidation. Our study paves the way to the discovery of unusual microgel properties as our proof-of-concept can be extended to different supramolecular chemistry and architecture.

中文翻译：

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可裂解金属超分子交联微凝胶稳定的氧化响应乳液

报道了一种开发高级微凝胶乳化剂的原始途径，该乳化剂含有可激发的金属超分子而不是冷冻的共价交联。聚( N微凝胶的-异丙基甲基丙烯酰胺）（PNiPMAM）链通过铁（II）-双（三联吡啶）配位超分子配合物连接，可以根据需要进行切割，从而在界面和体积上产生独特的性能。微凝胶合成要求不高，其超分子结构的表征可以通过标准方法精确实现。独特的是，由超分子颗粒稳定的水包油乳液的界面可以通过将 Fe(II) 氧化为 Fe(III) 在分子尺度上触发，从而导致破乳。总的来说，我们表明微凝胶分散体确实可以在氧化后转化为聚合物溶液。我们的研究为发现不同寻常的微凝胶特性铺平了道路，因为我们的概念验证可以扩展到不同的超分子化学和结构。