Preparation of nanogels through photopolymerization at 532 nm with dynamic exposure mode

[Display omitted] •A new method of photopolymerization with the dynamic exposure was developed to obtain nanogels with uniform size.•The double bond conversion of the polymerization in the dynamic exposure mode was equal to that in the conventional exposure mode.•No emulsifier or co-solvent was required during the polymerization. In this study, a new method of photopolymerization with the dynamic exposure was developed to solve the issue of uneven laser-induced polymerization and prepare nanogels with uniform size. Dynamic exposure was used to divide the photopolymerization process into illumination period and dark period. In illumination period, free radicals were generated to induce polymerization. In the dark period, the incompletely cross-linked nanogels and oligomers were redistributed to homogenize the polymerization system. The double bond conversion of the polymerization in the dynamic exposure mode was equal to that in the conventional exposure mode. The simple dynamic exposure mode optimized the process for preparing the nanogels by laser-induced photopolymerization.