Fig. 5.

The multi-Hertzian model. a Calculated effective potential between two microgels as a function of their center-to-center distance. Lines are fits to three different Hertzian contributions, labeled respectively as Hertzian 1, which corresponds to the calculated elastic moduli⁴⁰ and whose effective diameter σ is used to rescale the x-axis, Hertzian 2 and Hertzian 3 representing the contributions of the inner structure of the microgels. For the reported microgel, the fitted strengths are U₁ = 335k_BT, U₂ = 1182k_BT and U₃ = 2617k_BT and the fitted lengths are σ₁ = σ, σ₂ = 0.92σ and σ₃ = 0.8354σ in good qualitative agreement with the ones used to fit experimental data whose parameters are given in Table 2; b the model describing experimental data with the employed interactions lengths: σ_core, below which core-core interactions take place, σ_mid relevant to the onset of core-corona interactions and σ_corona which reflect the heterogeneous nature of the outer corona shell. A comparison with the Hertzian model is also provided. Note the logarithmic scales on the y-axis for both panels