writer：周治，贾迪，Javoris Hollingsworth，程贺，韩志超
keywords：repulsive glass, attractive glass, A3 point
source：期刊
specific source：Journal of chemical physics 2015, 143, 234901
Issue time：2015年
Linear rheological properties and yielding behavior of polystyrene (PS) core and poly
(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shell microgels were investigated to understand the transition from repulsive glass (RG) to attractive glass (AG) and the A3 singularity. Due to the volume phase transition (VPT) of PNIPAM in aqueous solution, the microgel-microgel interaction potential gradually changes from repulsive to attractive. In temperature and frequency sweep experiments, the storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G”) increased discontinuously when crossing the RG-to-AG transition line, while G’ at low frequency exhibited a different volume fraction (Φ) dependence. By fitting the data of RG and AG, then extrapolating to high volume fraction, the difference between RG and AGdecreased and the existence of A3 singularity was verified. Dynamic strain sweep experiments were conducted to confirm these findings. RG at 25oC exhibited one-step yielding, whereas AG at 40oC showed a typical two-step yielding behavior; the first yielding strain remained constant and the second
one gradually decreased as the volume fraction increased. By extrapolating the second yield strain to that of the first one, the predicted A3 singularity was at 0.61±0.02. At 37oC, when Φeff = 0.59, AG showed one step yielding as the length of the attractive bond increased. The consistency and agreement of the experimental results reaffirmed the existence of A3 singularity, where the yielding behavior of RG and AG became identical.