The critical importance of size on thermoresponsive nanoparticle transition temperatures: gold and micelle-based polymer nanoparticles.

The synthesis and application of thermally-responsive macromolecules and nanoparticles relies on the underpinning control of their transition temperatures. The present study shows that two structurally diverse classes of nanoparticle have very strong diameter-dependent responses to temperature-stimuli, demonstrating that the exact size of the nanostructure can significantly impact its performance.