Lignin nanoparticles as Pickering stabilizers: Emulsion engineering through physicochemical design and meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Physical Chemistry
• Colloid Science
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pickering emulsions offer enhanced stability over conventional emulsions.
• Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are sustainable and tunable stabilizers for Pickering emulsions.
• Understanding physicochemical parameters is crucial for optimizing LNP-stabilized Pickering emulsions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the physicochemical parameters influencing LNP-stabilized Pickering emulsion formation and stability.
• To elucidate the role of particle characteristics, formulation variables, and emulsification methods.
• To provide heuristics for tailoring LNP-stabilized Pickering emulsions for diverse applications.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of Pickering emulsion stabilization by LNPs.
• Analysis of factors including LNP size, charge, concentration, oil fraction, pH, and shearing.
• Application of physical chemistry principles and advanced computational analysis (meta-analysis, SVR, XAI).

Main Results:

• Optimal LNP size (25-50 nm) and concentration (0.2-2 wt%) yield stable emulsions (>6 months).
• High-energy emulsification, acidic to neutral pH (3-7), and negative zeta potentials (-64 mV) enhance stability.
• LNP modification (acetylation, grafting) improves wettability and interfacial activity.
• AI analysis identified high-energy emulsification, pH, and packing parameter as critical features.

Conclusions:

• Fundamental physical chemistry principles effectively explain LNP-stabilized Pickering emulsion stability.
• Tailoring LNP properties and formulation conditions allows for controlled emulsion performance.
• LNP-stabilized Pickering emulsions show promise in agriculture, food, nutraceuticals, energy, and coatings.