It is well-known that the architecture of macromolecules plays an important role in the hydrodynamics and viscosity of its semi-diluted solutions. However, the systematic study of the rheology of macromolecules with complex topology, such as microgels, remains a difficult task. In this work, we use the computer simulations methods of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics to study the viscous properties of randomly cross-linked microgels and compare it to multiple reference systems (linear chains, 10-arm star polymers and hard spheres). We show that the microgel cross-linking density and, thus, the particle shape, plays crucial role in its viscosity. Also, in contrast to a simpler polymer systems, microgel dispersions in good solvent show much less shear thinning.
@article{arxiv.2010.13602,
title = {Viscosity of macromolecules with complex architecture},
author = {Vladimir Yu. Rydyak and Artem V. Sergeev and Elena Yu. Kozhunova and Alexander V. Chertovich},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2010.13602},
year = {2020}
}