Objective Understanding the behaviour of soft materials is the key for designing or optimising new materials and processes, enhancing drag delivery and medical treatment issues, and addressing environmental issues. In this large and still evolving field, one of the key themes is that of systems interactions and combination of properties of different materials. One of the many means of addressing this thematic area is the relatively unexplored field of soft colloids, i.e. systems that combine properties of convention al well-studied hard spheres (particle) and those of also well-studied polymers (grafted layers for stabilization). Understanding and controlling the structure and dynamic response of interacting colloidal suspensions over a broad range of length and time scales represents a formidable challenge in soft matter physics.The goal of this proposal is to explore a new range of control parameters (cross-linking density, temperature, introduction of depletion forces via linear homopolymer (polystyrene) addition) for monitoring the softness of the colloidal particles (core variation, deformability). By using an interdisciplinary approach based on a broad range of experimental techniques (DLS, rheology, rheo-DWS echo, SAXS, SANS), on a longstanding expertise of the polymer group of FORTH in the study of the dynamics and rheology of polymeric systems (including soft colloids) and on the experience acquired by the applicant (rheology + modelling), we aim at exploring the structure and dynamic response of different colloidal systems, covering the range from very soft behaviour (exhibiting liquid like order) to harder behaviour (exhibiting crystalline order), in order to obtain new information about the micro-structural origin of yielding and flow of these soft colloidal systems. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencescondensed matter physicssoft matter physicsnatural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciencesengineering and technologymaterials engineering Keywords colloidal particles crosslinking density yield and flow Programme(s) FP6-MOBILITY - Human resources and Mobility in the specific programme for research, technological development and demonstration "Structuring the European Research Area" under the Sixth Framework Programme 2002-2006 Topic(s) MOBILITY-2.1 - Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships (EIF) Call for proposal FP6-2004-MOBILITY-5 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme EIF - Marie Curie actions-Intra-European Fellowships Coordinator FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY - HELLAS EU contribution No data Address VASSILIKA VOUTON HERAKLION Greece See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
