Structure and Dynamics of Loosely Cross-Linked Ionic Microgel Dispersions in the Fluid Regime

P. Holmqvist, P. S. Mohanty, G. Nägele, P. Schurtenberger, M. Heinen
2012 Physical Review Letters  
We report a comprehensive experimental-theoretical study of the temperature-and concentrationdependent swelling behavior of weakly cross-linked PNiPAm ionic microgel particles in the deionized fluid phase. The particles swell reversibly when the dispersion is cooled from the collapsed state to lower temperatures. While the collapsed state shows no dependence on the microgel number density, the swelling at lower T is more pronounced at lower concentrations. The static pair correlations and
more » ... ime diffusion functions, and the concentration and temperature dependence of the microgel radius and effective charge, are studied using static and dynamic light scattering in combination with state-of-the-art analytical theoretical schemes based on a Yukawa-type effective pair potential and a core-shell model. We show that only such a combined, simultaneous fit of static and dynamic scattering functions allows for an unambiguous determination of the microgel radius and effective charge.
doi:10.1103/physrevlett.109.048302 pmid:23006114 fatcat:aui7s4h7qvbmros7yihbpsgrja