Interpenetration of polymeric microgels at ultrahigh densities.

ABSTRACT: Soft particles such as polymeric microgels can form ultra-dense phases, where the average center-to-center distance a _s can be smaller than the initial unperturbed particle diameter σ ₀, due to their ability to interpenetrate and compress. However, despite of the effort devoted to microgels at ultrahigh densities, we know surprisingly little about their response to their environment at effective volume fractions ϕ _eff above close packing (ϕ _cp ), and the existing information is often contradictory. Here we report direct measurements of the size and shape of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels at concentrations below and above ϕ _cp using the zero average contrast method in small-angle neutron scattering. We complement these experiment

SUBMITTER: Mohanty PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5431201 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature