Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026
09:47
Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
10.2K
Hierarchical Oil-Water-Oil Pickering Double Emulsions Stabilized by Tubular Nanoparticles
Ludovico Guercio1, Chiara Ferlito1, Giulia D'Agostino1
1Department of Physics and Chemistry - E. Segrè, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, pad. 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 6, 2026
Summary
Researchers created a novel oil-in-water-in-oil Pickering double emulsion using halloysite nanotubes. This stable system can encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- Pickering emulsions, stabilized by solid particles, offer tunable properties for soft-matter systems.
- Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are versatile clay particles with potential for emulsion stabilization.
- Developing hierarchical emulsions like double emulsions remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel oil-in-water-in-oil Pickering double emulsion stabilized by halloysite nanotubes.
- To demonstrate the selective stabilization of oil-water and water-oil interfaces using functionalized HNTs.
- To explore the encapsulation capabilities and physical behavior of the resulting double emulsion.
Main Methods:
- Selective functionalization of halloysite nanotubes for distinct interfacial stabilization.
- Preparation of two separate Pickering emulsions: oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O).
- Mixing and stirring of the two emulsions to form the oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsion.
- Characterization using fluorescent microscopy and particle-tracking analysis.
Main Results:
- Successful formation of a stable O/W/O Pickering double emulsion stabilized by pristine and modified HNTs.
- Hierarchical structure confirmed: oil microdroplets within water droplets dispersed in bulk oil.
- Confined oil droplets exhibited Brownian motion with reduced diffusion coefficients compared to bulk.
- Demonstrated simultaneous encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic species within the dual compartments.
Conclusions:
- Halloysite nanotubes can effectively stabilize complex Pickering double emulsions through selective surface modification.
- The developed O/W/O emulsion provides a stable platform for co-encapsulating diverse substances.
- This system holds promise for applications in controlled release, drug delivery, and multifunctional formulations.
Related Concept Videos
03:22Colloids
22.1K
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...
22.1K
01:30Micelles
225
Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
225