Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
04:56
Real-Time Force Measurement Between Emulsion Droplets During Enzymatic Breakdown
Published on: June 27, 2025
718
Repulsive van der Waals forces enable Pickering emulsions with non-touching colloids
Nina A Elbers1, Jessi E S van der Hoeven, D A Matthijs de Winter
1Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 1, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands. N.A.Elbers@uu.nl A.vanBlaaderen@uu.nl.
Soft Matter
|July 14, 2016
Summary
Researchers demonstrated a new Pickering emulsion stabilization method using non-wetting, charged particles. This breakthrough allows for triggered de-emulsification and particle recovery, advancing applications in various industries.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Science
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Pickering emulsions, stabilized by solid particles, are valued for their stability and surfactant-free nature.
- Traditional Pickering emulsions require particles wetted by both phases, leading to strong adsorption.
- This limits particle detachment and recovery, hindering certain industrial applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally prove an alternative Pickering emulsion stabilization mechanism.
- To demonstrate stabilization by non-touching, charged particles immersed in the oil phase.
- To enable triggered de-emulsification and particle recovery.
Main Methods:
- Investigated stabilization of emulsions using non-wetting, charged particles.
- Analyzed particle interactions through a balance of charge-induced forces and van der Waals forces.
- Demonstrated triggered de-emulsification via salt addition.
Main Results:
- Achieved stable Pickering emulsions with non-touching, oil-immersed particles.
- Showcased a novel adsorption mechanism driven by balanced electrostatic and van der Waals forces.
- Confirmed easy particle detachment and recovery upon addition of salt.
Conclusions:
- Established a new fundamental understanding of Pickering emulsion stabilization.
- Developed a method for triggered de-emulsification and particle recovery.
- Highlighted potential applications in enhanced oil recovery, catalysis, and polymerization.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Van der Waals Interactions
72.9K
Atoms and molecules interact with each other through intermolecular forces. These electrostatic forces arise from attractive or repulsive interactions between particles with permanent, partial, or temporary charges. The intermolecular forces between neutral atoms and molecules are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, and dispersion forces, collectively known as van der Waals forces.
72.9K
01:29The Colloidal State
83
The formation of a colloidal system is exemplified by an aqueous solution containing Cl− ions is introduced to another containing Ag+ ions, resulting in the precipitation of solid AgCl as extremely tiny crystals. Instead of settling out as a filterable precipitate, these crystals remain suspended in the liquid, showcasing a colloidal system.A colloidal system involves colloidal particles within the approximate range of 1 to 1000 nm in at least one dimension, dispersed in a medium called...
83
01:09Colloidal precipitates
6.7K
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
6.7K
03:22Colloids
21.9K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
21.9K
03:13Intermolecular Forces
76.3K
Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen...
76.3K
01:06Coagulation
1.6K
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
1.6K