We report dynamic and coagulation properties of a dispersion ofpolyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules filled with solutions of a strongpolyelectrolyte. The capsule self-diffusion coefficient in the vicinity of thewall is measured using a particle tracking procedure from confocal images ofthe dispersion. Our results suggest that the microcapsules take a charge ofencapsulated polyions, which indicates a semi-permeability of the shell and aleakage of counter-ions. The diffusion of capsules in the force field isqualitatively similar to that of charged solid particles: The effectiveinteraction potential contains a weak local attractive minimum and anelectrostatic barrier. We also found that the aggregation of suspended capsulesoccurs faster than their sedimentation and adhesion onto a glass surface.
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