# Modelling microgels with controlled structure across the volume phase transition

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a coarse-grained simulation model for thermoresponsive microgels that accurately replicates their internal structure across the volume phase transition, aligning well with experimental data.

## Contribution

The study presents a novel coarse-grained model that quantitatively matches experimental scattering results, enabling detailed theoretical analysis of microgel properties.

## Key findings

- Model accurately reproduces microgel structure across temperature range
- Bridges gap between experimental data and simulations
- Enables nanoscale analysis of microgel bulk properties

## Abstract

Thermoresponsive microgels are soft colloids that find widespread use as model systems for soft matter physics. Their complex internal architecture, made of a disordered and heterogeneous polymer network, has been so far a major challenge for computer simulations. In this work we put forward a coarse-grained model of microgels whose structural properties are in quantitative agreement with results obtained with small-angle X-ray scattering experiments across a wide range of temperatures, encompassing the volume phase transition. These results bridge the gap between experiments and simulations of individual microgel particles, paving the way to theoretically address open questions about their bulk properties with unprecedented nano and microscale resolution.