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Slow dynamics, aging, and crystallization of multiarm star glasses

E. Stiakakis, A. Wilk, J. Kohlbrecher, D. Vlassopoulos, and G. Petekidis
Phys. Rev. E 81, 020402(R) – Published 18 February 2010

Abstract

Multiarm star polymers are model systems with tunable intermediate colloid to polymerlike character, exhibiting rich phase behavior, internal relaxations, and flow properties. An important puzzle for several years has been the lack of clear experimental proof of crystalline states despite strong theoretical predictions. We present unambiguous evidence via multispeckle dynamic light scattering (MSDLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) for such crystallization in a solvent of intermediate quality. An unexpected speed up of the short-time star diffusion observed in MSDLS was attributed by SANS to crystallization, via aging, of the multiam star glass. This delayed glass to crystal transition establishes a pathway for star crystallization that might be generic in colloidal glasses.

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  • Received 11 July 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.81.020402

©2010 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

E. Stiakakis1,2, A. Wilk1,2,3,4, J. Kohlbrecher3, D. Vlassopoulos1,5, and G. Petekidis1,5,*

  • 1Foundation for Research & Technology–Hellas, IESL, Heraklion, Greece
  • 2IFF, Weiche Materie, FZ-Jülich, Jülich, Germany
  • 3Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, ETH Zurich and Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
  • 4Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
  • 5Department of Material Science and Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

  • *Corresponding author. Email: georgp@iesl.forth.gr

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Vol. 81, Iss. 2 — February 2010

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