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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228388
Resolving the different bulk moduli within individual soft nanogels using small-angle neutron scattering
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The bulk modulus, K, quantifies the elastic response of an object to an isotropic compression. For soft compressible colloids, knowing K is essential to accurately predict the suspension response to crowding. Most colloids have complex architectures characterized by different softness, which additionally depends on compression. Here, we determine the different values of K for the various morphological parts of individual nanogels and probe the changes of K with compression. Our method uses a partially deuterated polymer, which exerts the required isotropic stress, and small-angle neutron scattering with contrast matching to determine the form factor of the particles without any scattering contribution from the polymer. We show a clear difference in softness, compressibility, and evolution of K between the shell of the nanogel and the rest of the particle, depending on the amount of cross-linker used in their synthesis.
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HOUSTON, Judith, et al. Resolving the different bulk moduli within individual soft nanogels using small-angle neutron scattering. Science Advances. 2022. Vol. 8, num. eabn6129. [consulted: 6 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228388