The stepwise organization of nanoparticles into a Pickering emulsion.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33399612.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1039/d0sm02028a.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Core/shell PVSt-b-PS@Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> composite nanoparticles (NPs) are achieved by grafting living cationic block copolymer chains onto the surface of amine-capped Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NPs via fast termination. The number of chains grafted can be tuned via the molecular weight of PVSt-b-PS. Upon grafting PEG onto the PVSt block via a click reaction, the resulting (PVSt-g-PEG)-b-PS@Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> composite NPs become highly dispersible in water. A composite nanoparticle with ten chains is selected as a homogeneous NP to demonstrate the dynamic stepwise organization of the NP as oil is fed into the aqueous dispersion. The individual NPs with captured oil are further aggregated, but remain stable with increasing oil content. Eventually, a Pickering emulsion forms in which the aggregates are anchored at the emulsion interface. This dynamic behavior study helps to provide an understanding of the mechanism by which NPs stabilize Pickering emulsions.