Softness plays a key role in determining the macroscopic properties of colloidal systems,
from synthetic nanogels to biological macromolecules, from viruses to star polymers …

Nanogels and microgels are soft, deformable, and penetrable objects with an internal gel-
like structure that is swollen by the dispersing solvent. Their softness and the potential to …

Nanocolloidal gels (NCGs) are an emerging class of soft matter, in which nanoparticles act
as building blocks of the colloidal network. Chemical or physical crosslinking enables NCG …

Self-assembly of various building blocks has been considered as a powerful approach to
generate novel materials with tailorable structures and optimal properties. Understanding …

Due to their controlled size, sensitivity to external stimuli, and ease-of-use, microgel colloids
are unique building blocks for soft materials made by crosslinking polymers on the …

Soft particles display highly versatile properties with respect to hard colloids and even more
so at fluid–fluid interfaces. In particular, microgels, consisting of a cross-linked polymer …

Note: This paper is part of the JCP Special Topic on Depletion Forces and Asakura–Oosawa
Theory. a) Electronic mail: miyazaki@ r. phys. nagoya-u. ac. jp b) Electronic mail …

Thermosensitive microgels are widely studied hybrid systems combining properties of
polymers and colloidal particles in a unique way. Due to their complex morphology, their …

The bulk modulus, K, quantifies the elastic response of an object to an isotropic
compression. For soft compressible colloids, knowing K is essential to accurately predict the …

Soft colloids enable the exploration of states with densities exceeding that of random close
packing, but it remains unclear whether softness controls the dynamics under these dense …