Elasticity of compressed microgel suspensions

We describe the elasticity of compressed microgel suspensions starting from a core-shell model for single particles. The mechanical properties of the inner core and of the outer corona are described via the mean field Flory theory and via the Alexander-de Gennes model for polymer brushes, respectively. The model successfully reproduces experimental measures of the elastic shear modulus up to a constant factor that we rationalize in the jamming perspective. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.