ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Probing depletion of soft colloids using SANS with contrast variation

Abstract: Depletion forces act in mixtures of colloidal particles and smaller entities, like polymers, proteins, or nanoparticles, inducing changes in their equilibrium phase behavior but also non-equilibrium effects like the formation of aggregates, gels and glasses. An aspect that has not yet been investigated is how the deswelling and deformation of a soft particle, e.g. a microgel, because of the increase in concentration of the depletant affects their phase behaviour and non-equilibrium properties. We will quantify the effect of particle compressibility on the depletion interaction using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels and partially-deuterated polyethylene glycol (d83%PEG). All the samples will be prepared in pure D2O to contrast match the scattering length density of d83%PEG. The only coherent part of the scattering signal will be due to the microgels: I(q) S(q)P(q). Analysing the structural peaks in the S(q), we will determine how the depletants affect the microgel pahse behavior. We will study samples in the liquid, cristalline, glassy and jammed state.

Principal Investigator: Dr Andrea Scotti
Experimenter: Dr Judith Houston
Experimenter: Dr Ariane Fournier
Experimenter: Mr Felix Justus Stammler
Local Contact: Dr James Doutch

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610220

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610220

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Andrea Scotti et al; (2026): Probing depletion of soft colloids using SANS with contrast variation , STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610220

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.