Molecular Dynamics Study of the Swelling and Osmotic Properties of Compact Nanogel Particles

Published

August 15, 2022

Author(s)

Jack F. Douglas, Alexandros Chremos, Peter Basser, Ferenc Horkay

Abstract

We investigate the solution and osmotic properties of uncharged compact nanogel particles over a wide range of solvent qualitiy and particle concentration by molecular dynamics simulation. The in uence of the solvent quality is characterized by changes in the osmotic pressure by estimating the second and third virial coecients, which allows for the estimation of the location of the -point where the second virial coe cient vanishes and some information about the many-body e ects. Calculations of the structure factor indicates that these particles are similar to macrogels in that the particle-like scattering pro le disappears at moderate concentrations. We also nd that improving the solvent quality enhances the spatial segmental uniformity, while signi cant heterogeneous structure arises near the -point. Well below the -point where the second osmotic virial coecient vanishes, these heterogeneous structures become less prevalent as the particles tend to collapse. We also investigate the degree of swelling and structure of compact nanogel particles having a variable excluded volume interaction and gel particle concentration. The osmotic modulus and the scaling exponents in good and -point conditions found are characteristic of interacting randomly branched polymers, i.e. "lattice animals".

Citation

Soft Matter

Issue

33

Pub Type

Journals

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Citation

Douglas, J. , Chremos, A. , Basser, P. and Horkay, F. (2022), Molecular Dynamics Study of the Swelling and Osmotic Properties of Compact Nanogel Particles, Soft Matter, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=934795 (Accessed October 17, 2025)