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TY - THES AU - Lenßen, Pia TI - DNA-functionalised microgels: super-resolution fluorescence imaging and photolithographic strategy for their targeted immobilisation PB - RWTH Aachen University VL - Dissertation CY - Aachen M1 - RWTH-2025-09417 SP - 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen PY - 2025 N1 - Veröffentlicht auf dem Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University N1 - Dissertation, RWTH Aachen University, 2025 AB - This dissertation, developed as part of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 985 on “Functional Microgels and Microgel Systems”, explores the structure of bio-hybrid microgels and the methodology for assembling them into two-dimensional superstructures. Key analytical techniques employed include fluorescence microscopy, particularly super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Additional methods such as UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy are also utilized. One of the presented projects focuses on elucidating the structure of bio-hybrid microgels with a core-shell compartmentalization. Using various super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques, the study demonstrates the spread of core polymer into the shell while highlighting how diffusion of different types of molecules (hydrophilic oligonucleotides and hydrophobic fluorescent dyes) is hindered. Moreover, an advanced atomic force microscopy technique in liquid is combined with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy for the first time. An optimized process for collecting data from identical microgels is presented. The results reveal consistency between the two microscopy methods in terms of size and shape measurements. The second project addresses the targeted arrangement and immobilization of microgels on surfaces using lithographic techniques. Photolithography is explored as a subprocess within a larger framework through the synthesis and immobilization of a photolabile functional molecule on a molecular monolayer. Laser-based irradiation is used to create various structures, allowing for an evaluation of size limitations. Fluorescence microscopy reveals that a minimum radius of 350 nm can be achieved. Furthermore, the study confirms the feasibility of creating multifunctional structures through alternating cycles of irradiation and fluorescent dye labelling. This work advances our understanding of bio-hybrid microgels and provides new methodologies for their structural analysis and spatial arrangement, offering potential applications in biomaterials and nanotechnology. LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)11 DO - DOI:10.18154/RWTH-2025-09417 UR - https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/1021040 ER -