Isotopic effect on the aging dynamics of a charged colloidal system

A dynamic light scattering (DLS) investigation of the isotopic H/D substitution on water molecules in aqueous Laponite suspensions is reported for two Laponite weight concentrations (Cw = 1.5% and Cw = 3.0%). Increasing the deuterium percentage results in a slowing down of the dynamics for both concentrations, although the aging behavior of the suspensions is not qualitatively modified by the isotopic substitution. A scaling law for the isotopic effect is found. The relaxation times and the stretching parameters collapse on two distinct master curves, indicating that the two previously found dynamical behaviors of colloidal gels and glasses are preserved. These results may facilitate a large variety of experimental techniques and further theoretical investigations about the role of the solvent in determining the interaction potential.