Suspensions of small ultra-soft colloids remain liquids in overcrowded conditions
Concentrated suspensions of small ultra-soft colloids (ultra-low crosslinked microgels) are investigated with scattering and steady shear rheology to capture their equilibrium dynamics. The suspensions lack dynamic arrest, although the slow relaxation time $τ_2$ follows exponential growth with increasing generalized packing fraction, $ζ$. The zero-shear viscosity grows weakly with $ζ$, and never diverges in contrast to other soft glass formers, e.g.~star-polymers, microgels, green particles. Their high compressibility allows these ultra-soft spheres to diffuse even in overcrowded environments.
cond-mat.soft↗