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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Microgel regions in dilute agarose solutions: the notion of non-gelling concentration, and the role of spinodal demixing
Donatella BulonePier Luigi San BiagioPier Luigi San Biagiosubject
QuenchingSpinodalAqueous solutionChemistrySpinodal decompositionSupramolecular chemistryAnalytical chemistryGeneral Physics and AstronomyInstabilityLight scatteringchemistry.chemical_compoundChemical physicsAgarosePhysical and Theoretical Chemistrydescription
Abstract Freely drifting microgel regions are found in aqueous solutions of agarose, a representative biostructural polysaccharide, at concentrations between 0.01% and 0.05% w/v when quenched from 100°C to lower temperature. The size of these domains depends on the quench temperature and agarose concentration. The results agree with recent findings on the role that fluctuations within or close to the instability region of solution have as the initial step towards the self-assembly of supramolecular structures, and throw a new light on the notion of the lowest solute concentration needed for gelation.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-04-01 | Chemical Physics Letters |