Structure and short-time diffusion of concentrated suspensions consisting of silicone-stabilised PMMA particles: a quantitative analysis taking polydispersity effects into account

Abstract

We characterise structure and dynamics of concentrated suspensions of silicone-stabilised PMMA particles immersed in index-matching decalin–tetralin mixtures by means of static and quasielastic light scattering experiments. These particles can reproducibly be prepared via a comparatively easy route and are thus promising model systems with hard-sphere interaction. We demonstrate the hard-sphere behaviour of dense suspensions of these systems rigorously taking polydispersity effects into account. Structure factors S(Q) can in the entire range of volume fractions with liquid-like structure quantitatively be modelled using a multi-component Percus–Yevick ansatz regarding the particle size distribution and the form factor assuming a core–shell model with a scattering length density gradient in the PMMA core. Herewith, hydrodynamic functions H(Q) are in the whole accessible Q-range beyond the second maximum of H(Q) quantitatively modelled using a rescaled δγ-approach for all investigated volume fractions. With these data, previously provided characterisation of dilute systems is extended: the excellent agreement of structural and dynamic properties with theoretical predictions for hard spheres demonstrates the suitability of these particles as a model system for hard spheres.