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Behavior of Smart Surfactants in Stabilizing pH-Responsive Emulsions
Xiaomei Pei1, Sheng Zhang1, Wanqing Zhang1
1The Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, P. R. China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|December 1, 2020
Summary
Newly developed pH-responsive smart surfactants stabilize emulsions in neutral/alkaline conditions. They demulsify in acidic media, allowing for recyclable aqueous phases in green chemical processes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Traditional surfactants face limitations in stability and recyclability.
- Developing stimuli-responsive materials is crucial for advanced chemical processes.
- Smart surfactants offer tunable properties for emulsion stabilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel pH-responsive smart surfactants.
- To investigate their emulsifying capabilities under varying pH conditions.
- To explore their potential in green chemistry applications and emulsion recycling.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of novel cationic surfactants from alkyl trimethylammonium bromides.
- Emulsion stabilization studies using conventional, Pickering, and oil-in-dispersion systems.
- pH-dependent performance evaluation and demulsification analysis.
- Assessment of aqueous phase recyclability.
Main Results:
- Surfactants N+-(n)-N (n=14, 16) exhibit cationic surfactant behavior in neutral/alkaline media, stabilizing various emulsions.
- In acidic media, surfactants transform into hydrophilic Bola-type structures (N+-(n)-NH+), leading to demulsification.
- Demulsified components are easily separated, with the aqueous phase recyclable upon pH change.
- The process demonstrates a green approach for temporary emulsion stabilization.
Conclusions:
- pH-responsive surfactants offer tunable emulsion stabilization and demulsification.
- The developed surfactants enable efficient separation and recycling, aligning with green chemistry principles.
- Potential applications include emulsion polymerization, catalysis, and oil transportation.
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