Polymer-Mediated Melting in Glasses of Colloidal Disks

In this talk I will present results from our group on the rheology, dynamics, and microstructure of colloidal glasses comprised of laponite disks with adsorbed poly(ethylene oxide). Introduction of a low molecular adsorbing polymer, polyethylene oxide, can cause either melting of the glass or formation of a networked gel, depending upon polymer concentration and molecular weight. I will compare these systems to the more familiar attractive glasses formed from spherical particles with non-adsorbing polymer, and I will discuss the implications of bridging chains on the interparticle forces and resulting rheology.