On the relation between hierarchical morphology and mechanical properties of a colloidal 2D gel system

► A 2D gel system is formed by a Langmuir film of gold nanoparticles. It contains a hierarchy of sizes following a Levy distribution. ► The mechanical response of the Langmuir film is mainly elastic, with the moduli scaling as a power law of the reduced concentration. ► A power law distribution of relaxation times is found, reflecting the hierarchical nature of the morphology of the film. ► A mastercurve is built, describing the mechanical response over a frequency range slightly larger than that experimentally accessible. ► An additional viscous term is always present.