  We present a systematic investigation of static and dynamic properties of
block copolymer micelles with crosslinked cores, representing model
polymer-grafted nanoparticles, over a wide concentration range from dilute
regime to an arrested (crystalline) state, by means of light and neutron
scattering, complemented by linear viscoelasticity. We have followed the
evolution of their scattering intensity and diffusion dynamics throughout the
non-ergodicity transition and the observed results have been contrasted against
appropriately coarse-grained Langevin Dynamics simulations. These stable model
soft particles of the core-shell type are situated between ultrasoft stars and
hard spheres, and the well-known star pair interaction potential is not
appropriate to describe them. Instead, we have found that an effective brush
interaction potential provides very satisfactory agreement between experiments
and simulations, offering insights into the interplay of softness and dynamics
in spherical colloidal suspensions.
