Shunichi Saito, Sooyeon Kim, Yuichi Taniguchi, Miho Yanagisawa
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Colloidal gels gradually evolve as their structures reorganize, a process known as aging. Understanding this behavior is essential for fundamental science and practical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. This study examines the aging of low-concentration LAPONITE® suspensions with varying salt concentrations using fluorescence microscopy, scattering imaging, and particle tracking microrheology. Structural heterogeneity appeared earlier at higher salt concentrations, and the average size of aggregates decreased as the salt concentration increased further. Fourier transform analysis corroborated these trends, and scattering images showed similar results. Microrheology revealed distinct dynamics in LAPONITE®-rich and LAPONITE®-poor regions: the poor phase exhibited liquid-like behavior, while the rich phase exhibited gel-like properties. Further analysis suggested the presence of submicron or nanoscale structural heterogeneities within the rich phase. These findings provide insight into how aging and salt concentration shape the structure and dynamics of colloidal gels.
期刊介绍：
Soft Matter is an international journal published by the Royal Society of Chemistry using Engineering-Materials Science: A Synthesis as its research focus. It publishes original research articles, review articles, and synthesis articles related to this field, reporting the latest discoveries in the relevant theoretical, practical, and applied disciplines in a timely manner, and aims to promote the rapid exchange of scientific information in this subject area. The journal is an open access journal. The journal is an open access journal and has not been placed on the alert list in the last three years.
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