In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2014, vol. 118, no. 31, p. 17968–17974
Although small round gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) possess only a small degree of shape anisotropy, they support localized surface plasmon resonances and exhibit intrinsic optical anisotropy. These inherent features promote depolarized light scattering, whose temporal fluctuations carry information about rotational Brownian dynamics, and thus can be used to describe the size distribution of...
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In: Nanoscale, 2015, p. -
Light scattering is one of the few techniques available to adequately characterize suspended nanoparticles (NPs) in real time and in situ. However, when it comes to NPs in multicomponent and optically complex aqueous matrices – such as biological media and physiological fluids – light scattering suffers from lack of selectivity, as distinguishing the relevant optical signals from the...
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In: Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 2006, vol. 18, p. L339–L346
We investigate phase separation and structural evolution in a complex food colloid (casein micelles) and biopolymer (xanthan) mixture using small-angle light scattering. We demonstrate that phase separation is induced by a depletion mechanism, and that the resulting coexistence curve can be described by osmotic equilibrium theory for mixtures of colloids and polymer chains in a background...
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In: Europhysics Letters, 2007, vol. 77, no. 4, p. 48004
We present a combined experimental and numerical study of the equilibrium cluster formation in globular-protein solutions under no-added salt conditions. We show that a cluster phase emerges as a result of a competition between a long-range screened Coulomb repulsion and a short-range attraction. A simple effective potential, in which electrostatic repulsion is fixed by experimental conditions...
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In: Physical Review Letters, 2007, vol. 99, no. 11, p. 118301
We investigate the competition between spinodal decomposition and dynamical arrest using aqueous solutions of the globular protein lysozyme as a model system for colloids with short-range attractions. We show that quenches below a temperature Ta lead to gel formation as a result of a local arrest of the protein-dense phase during spinodal decomposition. The rheological...
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2011, vol. 115, no. 22, p. 7227–7237
We present a detailed experimental and numerical study of the structural and dynamical properties of salt-free lysozyme solutions. In particular, by combining small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data with neutron spin echo (NSE) and rheology experiments, we are able to identify that an arrest transition takes place at intermediate densities, driven by the slowing down of the cluster motion. Using...
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In: Science Advances, 2017, vol. 3, no. 10, p. e1700969
Tuning the solubility of fuzzy polymer microgels by external triggers, such as temperature or pH, provides a unique mechanism for controlling the porosity and size of colloidal particles on the nanoscale. As a consequence, these smart microgel particles are being considered for applications ranging from viscosity modifiers and sensing to drug delivery and as models for the glass and the...
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In: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2016, vol. 499, p. 18–23
Hierarchical polymer structures such as pNIPAM microgels have been extensively studied for their ability to undergo structural and physical transformations that can be controlled by external stimuli such as temperature, pH or solvent composition. However, a direct three-dimensional visualization of individual particles in-situ has so far been hindered by insufficient resolution, with optical...
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In: Soft Matter, 2010, vol. 6, p. 2174-2177
We describe the synthesis of thermoresponsive, magnetic, optically anisotropic and orientable colloidal particles based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hybrid microgels (PNIPAMs) with an embedded ellipsoidal hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) core. Our ability to orient the particles with a magnetic field is demonstrated by small angle X-ray scattering and by optical polarization microscopy.
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In: Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2010, vol. 342, no. 2, p. 564-570
The rheology of milk powder suspensions is investigated up to very high concentrations, where structural arrest occurs. The main component of the milk powder investigated is casein, so that the suspensions can be regarded as casein suspensions. Four concentration regimes are identified. For effective casein volume fractions less than 0.54 the concentration dependence of the zero-shear viscosity...
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