Structure and dynamics in suspensions of soft core-shell colloids in the fluid regime

We report on a detailed experimental study of the structure and short-time dynamics in fluid-regime suspensions of soft core-shell spherical particles with different molecular weights of the chains forming the soft outer shell, and therefore different degrees of particle softness, using 3D dynamic light scattering (3D-DLS). Owing to the particle softness, the liquid-crystal coexistence regime is found to be broader than that of hard-sphere (HS) suspensions. Static light scattering in the dilute regime yields form factors that can be described using a spherical core-shell model and second virial coefficients A₂ > 0 indicative of purely repulsive interactions. The particle-particle interactions are longer ranged for all considered systems except those of the smaller molecular weight chain grafted particles which show a HS-like behavior. 3D-DLS experiments in the concentrated regime up to the liquid-crystal transition provide the short-time diffusion function, D(q), in a broad range of scattering wavenumbers, q, from which the structural (cage) and short-time self-diffusion coefficients D(q_m) and D_S = D(q ≫ q_m), respectively, are deduced as functions of the effective particle volume fraction, ϕ = c/c^*, where c^* is the overlap concentration, calculated using the hydrodynamic particle radius, R_H. The size of the nearest-neighbor cage of particles is characterized by 2π/q_m, with D(q) and the static structure factor S(q) attaining at q_m the smallest and largest values, respectively. Experimental data of D(q_m) and D_S are contrasted with analytic theoretical predictions based on a simplifying hydrodynamic radius model where the internal hydrodynamic structure of the core-shell particles is mapped on a single hydrodynamic radius parameter γ = R_H/R_eff, for constant direct interactions characterized by an (effective) hard-core radius R_eff. The particle softness is reflected, in particular, in the corresponding shape of the static structure factor, while the mean solvent (Darcy) permeability of the particles related to γ is reflected in the dynamic properties only. For grafted particles with longer polymer chains, D(q_m) and D_S are indicative of larger permeability values while particles with shorter chains are practically nonpermeable. The particle softness is also evident in the effective random close packing fraction estimated from the extrapolated zero-value limit of the cage diffusion coefficient D(q_m).