Structure and dynamics of responsive colloids with dynamical polydispersity

Dynamical polydispersity in single-particle properties, for example a fluctuating particle size, shape, charge density, etc., is intrinsic to responsive colloids (RCs), such as biomacromolecules or microgels, but typically not resolved coarse-grained mesoscale simulations. Here, we present Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations of suspensions RCs modeling soft hydrogel colloids, which the size individual particles an explicitly (Gaussian) degree freedom and dynamically responds local interacting environment. We calculate liquid structure, emergent distributions, long-time diffusion, property (size) relaxation kinetics wide range densities times canonical ensemble. Comparison interesting reference cases, conventional polydisperse with frozen parent distribution, monodisperse systems effective pair potential one fixed shows significant spread structure dynamics. The differences, most apparent high density regimes, are due many-body correlations dynamical coupling between translation RC systems, accounted treatments. In particular, translational diffusion surprisingly close free (single RC) mainly cancellation crowding compression effects. show that can be constructed describes reasonably well by convoluting density-dependent distributions using mean constant.