Effect of dispersion pH on the formation and stability of Pickering emulsions stabilized by layered double hydroxides particles

Using positively charged plate-like layered double hydroxides (LDHs) particles as emulsifier, liquid paraffin-in-water emulsions stabilized solely by such particles are successfully prepared. The effects of the pH of LDHs aqueous dispersions on the formation and stability of the emulsions are investigated here. The properties of the LDHs dispersions at different pHs are described, including particle zeta potential, particle aggregation, particle contact angle, flow behavior of the dispersions and particle adsorption at a planar oil/water interface. The zeta potential decreases with increasing pH, leading to the aggregation of LDHs particles into large flocs. The structural strength of LDHs dispersions is enhanced by increasing pH and particle concentration. The three-phase contact angle of LDHs also increases with increasing pH, but the variation is very small. Visual observation and SEM images of the interfacial particle layers show that the adsorption behavior of LDHs particles at the planar oil/water interface is controlled by dispersion pH. We consider that the particle-particle (at the interface) and particle-interface electrostatic interactions are well controlled by adjusting the dispersion pH, leading to pH-tailored colloid adsorption. The formation of an adsorbed particle layer around the oil drops is crucial for the formation and stability of the emulsions. Emulsion stability improves with increasing pH and particle concentration because more particles are available to be adsorbed at the oil/water interface. The structural strength of LDHs dispersions and the gel-like structure of emulsions also influence the stability of the emulsions, but they are not necessary for the formation of emulsions. The emulsions cannot be demulsified by adjusting emulsion pH due to the irreversible adsorption of LDHs particles at the oil/water interface. TEM images of the emulsion drops show that a thick particle layer forms around the oil drops, confirming that Pickering emulsions are stabilized by the adsorbed particle layers. The thick adsorbed particle layer may be composed of a stable inner particle layer which is in direct contact with the oil phase and a relatively unstable outer particle layer surrounding the inner layer.     

Synergistic stabilization of emulsions by a mixture of surface-active nanoparticles and surfactant

The stability and rheology of tricaprylin oil-in-water emulsions containing a mixture of surface-active hydrophilic silica nanoparticles and pure nonionic surfactant molecules are reported and compared with those of emulsions stabilized by each emulsifier alone. The importance of the preparation protocol is highlighted. Addition of particles to a surfactant-stabilized emulsion results in the appearance of a small population of large drops due to coalescence, possibly by bridging of adsorbed particles. Addition of surfactant to a particle-stabilized emulsion surprisingly led to increased coalescence too, although the resistance to creaming increased mainly due to an increase in viscosity. Simultaneous emulsification of particles and surfactant led to synergistic stabilization at intermediate concentrations of surfactant; emulsions completely stable to both creaming and coalescence exist at low overall emulsifier concentration. Using the adsorption isotherm of surfactant on particles and the viscosity and optical density of aqueous particle dispersions, we show that the most stable emulsions are formed from dispersions of flocculated, partially hydrophobic particles. From equilibrium contact angle and oil-water interfacial tension measurements, the calculated free energy of adsorption E of a silica particle to the oil-water interface passes through a maximum with respect to surfactant concentration, in line with the emulsion stability optimum. This results from a competition between the influence of particle hydrophobicity and interfacial tension on the magnitude of E.     

颗粒乳化剂的研究及应用

近年来,颗粒乳化剂因其在食品、采油、化妆品、医药、催化以及功能纳米材料制备等领域具有潜在应用前景而备受关注。本文综述了近来颗粒乳化剂的研究进展,归纳了颗粒乳化剂的种类,包括:无机纳米粒子、表面改性或杂化的无机粒子、有机纳米粒子以及特殊的颗粒乳化剂Janus粒子;并对颗粒乳化剂能够在油水界面稳定吸附的热力学机理和动力学行为进行了阐述,颗粒乳化剂在油水界面接触角以及粒径大小是其在界面稳定吸附的关键参数,而颗粒在油水界面的排布方式则主要受粒子之间相互作用的影响。重点介绍了颗粒乳化剂的热点应用,包括:(1)利用颗粒乳化剂制备Pickering乳液,以及通过对颗粒乳化剂的功能化,使得Pickering乳液具备环境响应性(即pH、盐浓度、温度、紫外光、磁场敏感响应性);(2)以颗粒乳化剂为构筑基元、以Pickering乳液为模板制备Janus颗粒、Colloidosome、具有多级结构的粒子或膜,以及多孔结构材料;(3) Janus粒子在催化领域的应用。     

不同形态双金属氢氧化物颗粒水分散体系及其稳定的Pickering乳液

采用共沉淀法制备了3种形态的MgAl双金属氢氧化物颗粒的水分散体系, 并以其为乳化剂制备了Pickering乳液. 比较了3种颗粒的分散体系及其稳定的Pickering乳液的性质. X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)表征结果表明, 低结晶度的颗粒以形状不规则、 结构疏松、 表面粗糙的絮状体形式分散于水中, 且颗粒尺寸随高速搅拌分散时间的延长而减小; 而良好结晶的颗粒以形状规则、 结构致密、 表面平滑的六角片存在于水中. Zeta电位测试表明, 3种颗粒在水中均带正电荷, NaCl可降低颗粒的Zeta电位而使其发生絮凝, 但良好结晶颗粒的分散体系在更高NaCl浓度时才出现明显沉淀. 分别采用3种双金属氢氧化物颗粒/NaCl水分散体系制备了水包油(O/W)型Pickering乳液, 并比较了乳液的稳定性. 结果表明, NaCl的引入在一定程度上可提高3类乳液的稳定性; 良好结晶颗粒稳定乳液的能力强于低结晶度的颗粒; 对于低结晶度颗粒, 大颗粒稳定乳液的能力比小颗粒更强.     

Synergistic interaction in emulsions stabilized by a mixture of silica nanoparticles and cationic surfactant

Using a range of complementary experiments, a detailed investigation into the behavior of dodecane-water emulsions stabilized by a mixture of silica nanoparticles and pure cationic surfactant has been made. Both emulsifiers prefer to stabilize o/w emulsions. At high pH, particles are ineffective emulsifiers, whereas surfactant-stabilized emulsions become increasingly stable to coalescence with concentration. In mixtures, no emulsion phase inversion occurs although synergism between the emulsifiers leads to enhanced stability at either fixed surfactant concentration or fixed particle concentration. Emulsions are most stable under conditions where particles have negligible charge and are most flocculated. Freeze fracture scanning electron microscopy confirms the presence of particle flocs at drop interfaces. At low pH, particles and surfactant are good emulsifiers alone. Synergism is also displayed in these mixtures, with the extent of creaming being minimum when particles are most flocculated. Experiments have been undertaken in order to offer an explanation for the latter synergy. By determining the adsorption isotherm of surfactant on particles in water, we show that surfactant addition initially leads to particle flocculation followed by re-dispersion. Using suitable contact angle measurements at oil-water-solid interfaces, we show that silica surfaces initially become increasingly hydrophobic upon surfactant addition, as well as surfactant adsorption lowering the oil-water interfacial tension. A competition exists between the influence of surfactant on the contact angle and the tension in the attachment energy of a particle to the interface.     

Structural rearrangement of β-lactoglobulin at different oil-water interfaces and its effect on emulsion stability

Understanding the factors that control protein structure and stability at the oil-water interface continues to be a major focus to optimize the formulation of protein-stabilized emulsions. In this study, a combination of synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy, front-face fluorescence spectroscopy, and dual polarization interferometry (DPI) was used to characterize the conformation and geometric structure of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) upon adsorption to two oil-water interfaces: a hexadecane-water interface and a tricaprylin-water interface. The results show that, upon adsorption to both oil-water interfaces, β-Lg went through a β-sheet to α-helix transition with a corresponding loss of its globular tertiary structure. The degree of conformational change was also a function of the oil phase polarity. The hexadecane oil induced a much higher degree of non-native α-helix compared to the tricaprylin oil. In contrast to the β-Lg conformation in solution, the non-native α-helical-rich conformation of β-Lg at the interface was resistant to further conformational change upon heating. DPI measurements suggest that β-Lg formed a thin dense layer at emulsion droplet surfaces. The effects of high temperature and the presence of salt on these β-Lg emulsions were then investigated by monitoring changes in the ζ-potential and particle size. In the absence of salt, high electrostatic repulsion meant β-Lg-stabilized emulsions were resistant to heating to 90 °C. Adding salt (120 mM NaCl) before or after heating led to emulsion flocculation due to the screening of the electrostatic repulsion between colloidal particles. This study has provided insight into the structural properties of proteins adsorbed at the oil-water interface and has implications in the formulation and production of emulsions stabilized by globular proteins.     

Effect of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide addition on the emulsions stabilized by montmorillonite

The wettability of montmorillonite could be in situ modified by cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The type and stability of emulsions prepared from montmorillonite with different concentrations of cationic surfactant were investigated, and a double phase inversion of emulsions was observed. The adsorption of CTAB on montmorillonite particles was studied by surface tension and zeta potential measurements, and the variation of the wettability of particles with the concentration of CTAB was characterized by the contact angle measurements. The adsorption of particles at the surface of emulsion droplets was observed by laser-induced confocal scanning microscopy. At low surfactant concentrations, the adsorption of CTAB on montmorillonite increased the hydrophobicity of the particles, and the stability of oil-in-water emulsions was enhanced. With the increase of the CTAB concentration, montmorillonite particles changed from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and water-in-oil emulsions were obtained. However, at higher surfactant concentrations, the emulsions inverts to O/W again because montmorillonite particles were reconverted into hydrophilic due to the formation of CTAB bilayer on the surface of montmorillonite.     

Interfacial properties of emulsions stabilized with surfactant and nonsurfactant coated boehmite nanoparticles

The properties of emulsions stabilized with surface-modified boehmite particles of 26 and 8 nm in diameter have been investigated. The surface-modified particles were prepared by mixing aqueous dispersions of cationic boehmite particles with aqueous solutions of the surfactant p-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) or the nonsurfactant p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA). For the 26 nm particles, interfacial tension measurements indicate that p-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid partitions between the particle surface and the oil-water interface, while p-toluenesulfonic acid remains on the particle surface. The partitioning of p-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid supports the formation of emulsions, although in the absence of the particles the same surfactant concentration is not sufficient for emulsion stabilization. Due to the fast exchange kinetics, p-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid is gradually replaced by particles. At equilibrium, the interfacial tension in the presence of the surface-modified particles is between the values for the pure particles and the pure surfactant solutions. However, the interfacial tension is independent of the surfactant concentration used in the preparation of the particles. Reducing the particle size to 8 nm leads to increased emulsion stability, and thus, the minimum particle concentration required to prepare stable emulsions was reduced to 0.1 g/L. However, above approximately 3.5 mmol/L of the sulfonic acids, the small particles dissolve slowly, and the emulsion stability is lost. This mechanism can be used to trigger the collapse of the emulsions.     

Effect of oil soluble surfactant in emulsions stabilised by clay particles

Although surfactants and particles are often mixed together in emulsions, the contribution of each species to the stabilisation of the oil-water interface is poorly understood. We report the results of investigations into the formation of emulsions from solutions of surfactant in oil and aqueous suspensions of laponite. Depending on the salt concentration in the aqueous suspensions, the laponite dispersed as individual disc-shaped particles, 30 nm in diameter, or flocculated into aggregates tens of micrometres in diameter. At the concentrations studied, the flocculated particles alone stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. Synergistic interactions between the particles and octadecylamine at the oil-water interface reduced the average emulsion drop size, while antagonistic interactions with octadecanoic acid enhanced coalescence processes in the emulsions. The state of particle dispersion had dramatic effects on the emulsions formed. Measurements of the oil-water interfacial tension revealed the origins of the interactions between the surfactants and particles.     

On the thermodynamics of particle-stabilized emulsions: curvature effects and catastrophic phase inversion

The flexural properties of a particle adsorption monolayer are investigated theoretically. If the particles are not densely packed, the interfacial bending moment and the spontaneous curvature (due to the particles) are equal to zero. The situation changes if the particles are closely packed. Then the particle adsorption monolayer possesses a significant bending moment, and the interfacial energies of bending and dilatation become comparable. In this case, the bending energy can either stabilize or destabilize the Pickering emulsion, depending on whether the particle contact angle is smaller or greater than 90 degrees . Theoretical expressions are derived for the bending moment, for the curvature elastic modulus, and for the work of interfacial deformation and emulsification. The latter is dominated by the work for creation of a new oil-water interface and by the work for particle adsorption. The curvature effects give a contribution of second order, which is significant only for emulsification at 50:50 water/oil volume fractions. A thermodynamic criterion for the type of the formed emulsion is proposed. It predicts the existence of a catastrophic phase inversion in particle-stabilized emulsions, in agreement with the experimental observations. The derived theoretical expressions could find application for interpretation of experimental data on production and stability of Pickering emulsions.     

Naturally occurring spore particles at planar fluid interfaces and in emulsions

We have investigated the potential of utilizing naturally occurring spore particles of Lycopodium clavatum as sole emulsifiers of oil and water mixtures. The preferred emulsions, prepared from either oil-borne or aqueous-borne dispersions of the monodispersed particles of diameter 30 microm, are oil-in-water. The particles act as efficient stabilizers for oils of different polarity. Droplets as large as several millimeters are stable to coalescence indefinitely, despite the low coverage of interfaces by particles observed microscopically. Consistent with the emulsion findings, we discover that particles spontaneously adsorb to bare oil-water interfaces of single drops from oil dispersions, whereas adsorption is less spontaneous and extensive from aqueous dispersions. Monolayers of the spore particles at both air-water and oil-water planar interfaces contain particles in an aggregated state forming clusters and chains. The influence of particle concentration, oil/water ratio, and additives in the aqueous phase is studied.     

Conformational changes of α-lactalbumin adsorbed at oil-water interfaces: interplay between protein structure and emulsion stability

The conformation and structural dimensions of α-lactalbumin (α-La) both in solution and adsorbed at oil-water interfaces of emulsions were investigated using synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) spectroscopy, front-face tryptophan fluorescence (FFTF) spectroscopy, and dual polarization interferometry (DPI). The near-UV SRCD and the FFTF results demonstrated that the hydrophobic environment of the aromatic residues located in the hydrophobic core of native α-La was significantly altered upon adsorption, indicating the unfolding of the hydrophobic core of α-La upon adsorption. The far-UV SRCD results showed that adsorption of α-La at oil-water interfaces created a new non-native secondary structure that was more stable to thermally induced conformational changes. Specifically, the α-helical conformation increased from 29.9% in solution to 45.8% at the tricaprylin-water interface and to 58.5% at the hexadecane-water interface. However, the β-sheet structure decreased from 18.0% in solution to less than 10% at both oil-water interfaces. The DPI study showed that adsorption of α-La to a hydrophobic C18-water surface caused a change in the dimensions of α-La from the native globule-like shape (2.5-3.7 nm) to a compact/dense layer approximately 1.1 nm thick. Analysis of the colloidal stability of α-La stabilized emulsions showed that these emulsions were physically stable against droplet flocculation at elevated temperatures both in the absence and in the presence of 120 mM NaCl. In the absence of salt, the thermal stability of emulsions was due to the strong electrostatic repulsion provided by the adsorbed α-La layer, which was formed after the adsorption and structural rearrangement. In the presence of salt, although the electrostatic repulsion was reduced via electrostatic screening, heating did not induce strong and permanent droplet flocculation. The thermal stability of α-La stabilized emulsions in the presence of salt is a combined effect of the electrostatic repulsion and the lack of covalent disulfide interchange reactions. This study reports new information on the secondary and tertiary structural changes of α-La upon adsorption to oil-water interfaces. It also presents new results on the physical stability of α-La stabilized emulsions during heating and at moderate ionic strength (120 mM NaCl). The results broaden our understanding of the factors controlling protein structural change at emulsion interfaces and how this affects emulsion stability.     

Contact angles in relation to emulsions stabilised solely by silica nanoparticles including systems containing room temperature ionic liquids

We report measured and calculated oil-ionic liquid, water-ionic liquid and oil-water contact angles on silica surfaces which have been hydrophobised to different extents by silanisation. Based on the idea that the contact angle formed by a liquid-liquid interface with a particle adsorbed at that interface is a key determinant of the strength of particle adsorption and the tendency of the adsorbed particle film to curve, we correlate the contact angle data with the phase inversion points and stabilities of the corresponding particle-stabilised emulsions.     

CO2-triggered switchable Pickering emulsion stabilized by guanidine-functionalized silica particles

The guanidine group-modified silica particles were used as emulsifier to obtain a CO₂-responsive Pickering emulsion. To compare the wettability effect of the particles on the stability of the emulsion, both guanidine and alkyl chain were attached on the surface of silica particles. The influences of tension, particles concentration, oil-water fraction, NaCl concentration, and CO₂ on Pickering emulsion properties were investigated. Although the particles did not decrease the surface and interfacial tensions of the air/oil-water interfaces, they attached on the oil–water interfaces and stabilized the emulsions at room temperature for at least 4 weeks. Addition of salt increased the emulsion stability and induced phase inversion at high salt concentration. The stabilization–destabilization cycles of the emulsion could be successively controlled by alternative CO₂/heating triggers due to the protonation-deprotonation of guanidine groups on the particle surfaces.     

Stabilization of oil-in-water emulsions by colloidal particles modified with short amphiphiles

Emulsions stabilized through the adsorption of colloidal particles at the liquid-liquid interface have long been used and investigated in a number of different applications. The interfacial adsorption of particles can be induced by adjusting the particle wetting behavior in the liquid media. Here, we report a new approach to prepare stable oil-in-water emulsions by tailoring the wetting behavior of colloidal particles in water using short amphiphilic molecules. We illustrate the method using hydrophilic metal oxide particles initially dispersed in the aqueous phase. The wettability of such particles in water is reduced by an in situ surface hydrophobization that induces particle adsorption at oil-water interfaces. We evaluate the conditions required for particle adsorption at the liquid-liquid interface and discuss the effect of the emulsion initial composition on the final microstructure of oil-water mixtures containing high concentrations of alumina particles modified with short carboxylic acids. This new approach for emulsion preparation can be easily applied to a variety of other metal oxide particles.     

Double inversion of emulsions induced by salt concentration

The effects of salt on emulsions containing sorbitan oleate (Span 80) and Laponite particles were investigated. Surprisingly, a novel double phase inversion was induced by simply changing the salt concentration. At fixed concentration of Laponite particles in the aqueous phase and surfactant in paraffin oil, emulsions are oil in water (o/w) when the concentration of NaCl is lower than 5 mM. Emulsions of water in oil (w/o) are obtained when the NaCl concentration is between 5 and 20 mM. Then the emulsions invert to o/w when the salt concentration is higher than 50 mM. In this process, different emulsifiers dominate the composition of the interfacial layer, and the emulsion type is correspondingly controlled. When the salt concentration is low in the aqueous dispersion of Laponite, the particles are discrete and can move to the interface freely. Therefore, the emulsions are stabilized by particles and surfactant, and the type is o/w as particles are in domination. At intermediate salt concentrations, the aqueous dispersions of Laponite are gel-like, the viscosity is high, and the transition of the particles from the aqueous phase to the interface is inhibited. The emulsions are stabilized mainly by lipophilic surfactant, and w/o emulsions are obtained. For high salt concentration, flocculation occurs and the viscosity of the dispersion is reduced; thus, the adsorption of particles is promoted and the type of emulsions inverts to o/w. Laser-induced fluorescent confocal micrographs and cryo transmission electron microscopy clearly confirm the adsorption of Laponite particles on the surface of o/w emulsion droplets, whereas the accumulation of particles at the w/o emulsion droplet surfaces was not observed. This mechanism is also supported by the results of rheology and interfacial tension measurements.     

纳米SiO2与阳离子表面活性剂的相互作用及其诱导的正辛烷-水乳状液的双重相转变

研究了3种不同结构的水溶性阳离子表面活性剂对纳米二氧化硅颗粒的原位表面活性化作用, 它们分别是单头单尾的十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)、单头双尾的双十二烷基二甲基溴化铵(di-C12DMAB)和双头双尾的Gemini型阳离子三亚甲基-二(十四酰氧乙基溴化铵)(II-14-3), 并通过测定Zeta电位、吸附等温线及接触角等参数对相关机理进行了阐述. 结果表明, 阳离子表面活性剂吸附到颗粒/水界面形成以疏水基朝向水的单分子层, 从而增强了颗粒表面的疏水性是原位表面活性化的基础. 通过吸附CTAB和II-14-3, 颗粒的疏水性适当增强, 能吸附到正辛烷/水界面稳定O/W(1)型乳状液; 而通过吸附di-C12DMAB所形成的单分子层更加致密, 颗粒的疏水性进一步增强, 进而使乳状液从O/W(1)型转变为W/O型; 当表面活性剂浓度较高时, 由于链-链相互作用, 表面活性剂分子将在颗粒/水界面形成双层吸附, 使颗粒表面变得亲水而失去活性, 但此时体系中游离表面活性剂的浓度已增加到足以单独稳定O/W(2)型乳状液的程度. 因此当采用纳米二氧化硅和di-C12DMAB的混合物作乳化剂时, 通过增加di-C12DMAB的浓度即可诱导乳状液发生O/W(1)→W/O→O/W(2)双重相转变.     

Emulsions stabilised by food colloid particles: role of particle adsorption and wettability at the liquid interface

We study the effect of the particle wettability on the preferred type of emulsion stabilised solely by food colloid particles. We present results obtained with the recently developed gel trapping technique (GTT) for characterisation of wettability and surface structuring of individual food colloid particles adsorbed at air-water and oil-water interfaces. This method allows us to replicate a particle monolayer onto the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) without altering the position of the particles. By observing the polymer surface with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we are able to determine the contact angle of the individual particles at the initial liquid interface. We demonstrate that the GTT can be applied to fat crystal particles, calcium carbonate particles coated with stearic acid and spray-dried soy protein/calcium phosphate particles at air-water and oil-water interfaces. Subsequently, we prepare emulsions of decane and water stabilised by the same food colloid particles and correlate the wettability data obtained for these particles to the preferred type of emulsions they stabilise.     

Formation and characterization of emulsions using beta-cyclodextrin as an emulsifier

The preparation and characterization of n-alkane/water emulsions using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) were studied. The prepared n-alkane/water emulsions were of the oil-in-water (O/W) type, and the stability of emulsions was in the order of n-hexadecane > n-dodecane > n-octane. From observations using polarized light microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction measurement, it was suggested that the formation of a dense film at the oil-water interface and the three-dimensional structural network created by precipitated complexes in the continuous phase are associated with the stability of emulsion. Furthermore, it was clarified that O/W-type emulsions were formed because the contact angle (theta ow) which the precipitate makes with the interface was theta ow < 90 degrees in all compounds (oils) used in this study.     

胶体颗粒稳定的界面及胶体颗粒在界面的相互作用

Particle-stabilized dispersions such as emulsions, foams and bubbles are catching increasing attentions across a number of research areas. The adsorption mechanism and role of these colloidal particles in stabilizing the oil-water or gas-water interfaces and how these particles interact at interfaces are vital to the practical use of these dispersion systems. Although there have been intensive investigations, problems associated with the stabilization mechanisms and particle-particle interactions at interfaces still remain to explore. In this paper, we first systematically review the historical understanding of particle-stabilized emulsions or bubbles and then give an overview of the most important and well-established progress in the understanding of particle-stabilized systems, including emulsions, foams and liquid marbles. The particle-adsorption phenomena have long been realized and been discussed in academic paper for more than one century and a quantitative model was proposed in the early 1980s. The theory can successfully explain the adsorption of solid particles onto interface from energy reduction approaches. The stability of emulsions and foams can be readily correlated to the wettability of the particles towards the two phases. And extensive researches on emulsion stability and various strategies have been developed to prepared dispersion systems with a certain trigger such as pH and temperature. After that, we discuss recent development of the interactions between particles when they are trapped at the interface and highlight open questions in this field. There exists a huge gap between theoretical approaches and experimental results on the interactions of particles adsorbed at interfaces due to demanding experimental devices and skills. In practice, it is customary to use flat surfaces/interfaces as model surfaces to investigate the particle-particle at interfaces although most of the time interfaces are produced with a certain curvature. It is shown that the introduction of particles onto interfaces can generate charges at the interfaces which could possibly account for the long range electrostatic interactions. Finally, we illustrate that particle-stabilized dispersions have been found wide applications in many fields and applications such as microcapsules, food, biomedical carriers, and dry water. One of the most investigated areas is the microencapsulation of actives based on Pickering emulsion templates. The particles adsorbed at the interface can serve as interfacial stabilizers as well as constituting components of shells of colloidal microcapsules. Emulsions stabilized by solid particles derived from natural and bio-related sources are promising platforms to be applied in food related industries. Emulsion systems stabilized by solid particles of the w/w (water-in-water) feature are discussed. This special type of emulsion is attracting increasing attentions due to their all water features. Besides of oil-water interface, particle stabilized air-water interface share similar stabilization mechanism and several applications reported in the literature are subsequently discussed. We hope that this paper can encourage more scientists to engage in the studies of particle-stabilized interfaces and more novel applications can be proposed based on this mechanism