Glass and percolation transitions in dense attractive micellar system

Abstract

In this work, we study a copolymer-micellar system characterized by clustering processes due to a short-range attractive interaction. This originates a percolation process and a new type of kinetic glass transition. We have studied these intriguing dynamical situations by means of an extensive set of light scattering and viscoelasticity experiments. Obtained data, in both the phenomena, are accounted for by considering in a proper way fractal clustering processes and the related scaling concepts. Near the percolation line the main role in the system structure and dynamics is played by the cluster's partial screening of hydrodynamic interaction, that behaves, on approaching the percolation threshold, dramatic effects on the rheological properties and on the density decay relaxations. The ergodic–nonergodic transition line (glass transition) is studied in terms of the intermediate scattering functions (ISF) in the frame of the mode coupling theory. The measured ISF gives evidence of a logarithmic decay on the density fluctuation followed by a power law behavior. This latter phenomenon is the signature of a high-order glass transition of the A3 type (cusp-like singularity).