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09:47
Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
Bicontinuous emulsions stabilized solely by colloidal particles.
E M Herzig1, K A White, A B Schofield
1SUPA, School of Physics, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, UK.
Nature Materials
|November 6, 2007
Summary
Researchers developed a reproducible method to create three-dimensional bijels, a novel class of soft solids. These materials, useful for microfluidic applications, feature tunable interfaces stabilized by a single particle layer.
Area of Science:
- Soft matter physics
- Materials science
- Colloid science
Background:
- Computer simulations suggest the possibility of creating bijels, a new class of soft solids, by stabilizing bicontinuous interfaces in binary liquid mixtures.
- Bijels, if realized, could serve as semi-permeable micro-reaction media due to their interfacial particle layers.
- Laboratory creation of bijels faces challenges, including limitations on sample thickness and reproducibility issues caused by unequal particle wettability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reproducible protocol for creating three-dimensional bijel samples.
- To demonstrate the tunability of interfacial properties in bijels.
- To confirm the soft solid mechanical behavior of bijels.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing neutrally wetted particles to stabilize bicontinuous interfaces during spinodal decomposition.
- Developing a protocol to overcome limitations of fast quench rates and ensure sample three-dimensionality.
- Investigating interfacial layer characteristics and mechanical properties of the synthesized bijels.
Main Results:
- A reproducible protocol for creating three-dimensional bijels with interfaces stabilized by a single particle layer was established.
- The mean interfacial separation in the bijels was successfully tuned.
- The synthesized bijels exhibited soft solid mechanical behavior.
Conclusions:
- The developed protocol enables the reproducible fabrication of three-dimensional bijels.
- Tunable interfacial properties and soft solid behavior make these bijels valuable for microfluidic applications.
- This work overcomes previous limitations, paving the way for practical bijel applications.
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