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Microstructure, microrheology, and dynamics of laponite® and laponite®-poly(ethylene oxide) glasses and dispersions

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Abstract

We utilize dynamic light scattering (DLS)-based passive microrheology to probe the dynamics and structural evolution of laponite® and laponite®-polymer glasses and dispersions at the microscale. The results reveal an increase in the dynamic heterogeneity of laponite® dispersions with an increase of laponite® concentration and aging time. In neat laponite® dispersions, the degree of stiffness is enhanced and the dynamics are retarded at higher laponite® concentration due to the formation of a repulsive glass. In the presence of PEO with a moderate molecular weight of 20 kg/mol, the microviscoelastic properties of 2 wt% laponite® dispersions show non-monotonic effects with PEO concentration upon aging, which agrees with the results obtained previously from bulk rheology. However, the magnitudes of the viscoelastic moduli (G’ and G”) of dispersions beyond the gel point obtained from DLS-microrheology is lower than that obtained from conventional rheology. Our results suggest that the DLS-microrheology can be used to qualitatively study dynamic transitions and the microviscoelastic properties of gels and soft solids.

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Funding

The authors gratefully thank financial support from NSF awards CBET-1335787 and CBET-1903189 and ACS PRF grant 55729-ND9, and a Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship for B.Z.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Bingqian Zheng, James R. Breton, Ruchi S. Patel & Surita R. Bhatia

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  1. Bingqian Zheng
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  2. James R. Breton
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  3. Ruchi S. Patel
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  4. Surita R. Bhatia
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Correspondence to Surita R. Bhatia.

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Zheng, B., Breton, J.R., Patel, R.S. et al. Microstructure, microrheology, and dynamics of laponite® and laponite®-poly(ethylene oxide) glasses and dispersions. Rheol Acta 59, 387–397 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-020-01210-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-020-01210-y

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