Interfacial Fluid Rheology of Soft Particles

Phys Rev Lett. 2023 Dec 22;131(25):258202. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.131.258202.

Abstract

In situ interfacial rheology and numerical simulations are used to investigate microgel monolayers in a wide range of packing fractions, ζ_{2D}. The heterogeneous particle compressibility determines two flow regimes characterized by distinct master curves. To mimic the microgel architecture and reproduce experiments, an interaction potential combining a soft shoulder with the Hertzian model is introduced. In contrast to bulk conditions, the elastic moduli vary nonmonotonically with ζ_{2D} at the interface, confirming long-sought predictions of reentrant behavior for Hertzian-like systems.