Covalent Capture of Nanoparticle-Stabilized Oil Droplets via Acetal Chemistry Using a Hydrophilic Polymer Brush

We report the capture of nanosized oil droplets using a hydrophilic aldehyde-functional polymer brush. The brush was obtained via aqueous ARGET ATRP of a cis-diol-functional methacrylic monomer from a planar silicon wafer. This precursor was then selectively oxidized using an aqueous solution of NaIO₄ to introduce aldehyde groups. The oil droplets were prepared by using excess sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles to prepare a relatively coarse squalane-in-water Pickering emulsion (mean droplet diameter = 20 μm). This precursor was then further processed via high-pressure microfluidization to produce ∼200 nm squalane droplets. We demonstrate that adsorption of these nanosized oil droplets involves acetal bond formation between the cis-diol groups located on the steric stabilizer chains and the aldehyde groups on the brush. This interaction occurs under relatively mild conditions and can be tuned by adjusting the solution pH. Hence this is a useful model system for understanding oil droplet interactions with soft surfaces.