Surfactant-Free Emulsions with Erasable Triggered Phase Inversions
Yiwen Chen1, Zhen Wang2, Dingguan Wang2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing , Beijing 100083, China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|September 30, 2016
Summary
This study introduces surfactant-free complex emulsions using CO2-responsive polymers. This method simplifies creating porous materials and allows for repeatable control over emulsion and material properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Colloid Science
Background:
- Complex emulsions are valuable templates for porous materials.
- Traditional methods often require surfactants and multiple emulsification steps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a surfactant-free method for creating complex emulsions.
- To utilize CO2-responsive block copolymers for controlled emulsion formation.
- To produce porous polymeric materials efficiently.
Main Methods:
- One-step emulsification using a CO2-responsive block copolymer.
- Inducing phase inversion from high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) to double emulsions via CO2 triggering.
- Characterizing the resulting porous polymeric materials.
Main Results:
- Successfully prepared surfactant-free complex emulsions (HIPEs and double emulsions).
- Demonstrated CO2-triggered, reversible phase inversion by altering polymer amphiphilicity.
- Showcased the convenience of the one-step method for creating 3D scaffolds and particles.
Conclusions:
- The CO2-responsive block copolymer enables controllable, surfactant-free complex emulsion formation.
- This approach provides a versatile and erasable method for producing tunable porous materials.
- The one-step emulsification simplifies the fabrication process for advanced polymer architectures.
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