Rational design of synthetic nanoparticles with a large reversible shift of acid dissociation constants: Proton imprinting in stimuli responsive nanogel particles

Temperature-responsive nanogel particles with acids exhibiting large and reversible pK _a shift are prepared by an ion-imprinting polymerization of stimuli responsive monomers, cross-linkers, and acidic monomers using protons as a template. The principles employed here should be broadly applicable to other stimuli-responsive materials and will be an integral step in the production of active proton transporter.