title: Nucleation and growth of thermoreversible polymer gels.
abstract: We study the spatiotemporal low-frequency microrheology of a gelatin gel during the sol-gel transition after a fast temperature quench by tracking the motion of embedded colloidal particles. From the particle dynamics two different mechanisms responsible for the gelation of the sol phase can be identified: a fast process associated to the local nucleation of triple helices and a slow fiber growth triggered by presence of an intact network. We associate the latter to a gelation front propagating into the sol phase whose speed depends linearly on the quench depth and which accelerates the local rate of the sol-gel transition.
authors: 2. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors: J R
authors: JR
authors: Gomez-Solano
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Blickle
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Bechinger
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D044367:Phase Transition; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers