Microrheology of the liquid-solid transition during gelation

Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Apr 11;100(14):146001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.146001. Epub 2008 Apr 11.

Abstract

The viscoelastic properties of physical and chemical polymer gels are characterized through the liquid-solid transition using particle tracking microrheology. Measurements of the probe particle mean-squared displacement are shifted as the extent of gelation increases to generate master curves. From the shift factors, we determine the gel point and critical scaling exponents. Both systems exhibit a critical relaxation exponent n approximately 0.6, where G' approximately G'' approximately omega n for the incipient gel, consistent with the Rouse model of dynamic scaling in the percolation universality class.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemistry
  • Gels / chemistry*
  • Microchemistry / methods
  • Microfluidics / methods*
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Gels
  • Peptides
  • polyacrylamide