Dynamics of charged microparticles at oil-water interfaces

Solid-stabilized emulsions have been used as a model system to investigate the dynamics of charged microparticles with diameters of 1.1 microm at oil-water interfaces. Using confocal microscopy, we investigated the influences of interfacial curvature, cluster size, and temperature on the diffusion of solid particles. Our work suggests that a highly curved emulsion interface slows the motion of solid particles. This qualitatively supports the theoretical work by Danov et al. (Danov, K. D.; Dimova, R.; Pouligny, B. Phys. Fluids 2000, 12, 2711); however, the interfacial curvature effect decreases with increasing oil-phase viscosity. The diffusion of multiparticle clusters at oil-water interfaces is a strong function of cluster size and oil-phase viscosity and can be quantitatively related to fractal dimension. Finally, we report the influence of temperature and quantify the diffusion activation energy and friction factor of the particles at the investigated oil-water interfaces.     

Mobility and in situ aggregation of charged microparticles at oil-water interfaces

Particle mobility, aggregate structure, and the mechanism of aggregate growth at the two-dimensional level have been of long-standing interest. Here, we use solid-stabilized emulsions as a model system to investigate the mobility of charged microparticles at poly(dimethylsiloxane) (oil)-water interfaces using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Remarkably, the rate of diffusion of the charged colloidal-sized polystyrene particles at the oil-water interface is only moderately slower than that in the bulk water phase. The ambient diffusion constant of solid particles is significantly reduced from 1.1 x 10(-9) cm2/s to 2.1 x 10(-11) cm2/s when the viscosity of the oil phase increases from 5 cSt to 350 cSt. In addition, we successfully observe the in situ structural formation of solid particles at the oil-water interface.     

Effect of charged colloidal particles on adsorption of surfactants at oil-water interface

A change of oil/water interfacial tension in the presence of cationic or anionic surfactants in an organic phase was observed due to the addition of charged fine solids in the aqueous phase. The charged fine solids in the aqueous phase adsorb surfactants diffused from the oil phase, thereby causing an increase in the bulk equilibrium surfactant concentration in the aqueous phase, governed by the Stern-Grahame equation. Consequently, surfactant adsorption at the oil-water interface increases, which was demonstrated from the measured reduction of the oil-water interfacial tension. The increased surfactant partition in the aqueous phase in the presence of the charged particles was confirmed by the measured decrease in the surface tension for the collected aqueous solution after solids removal, as compared with the cases without solids addition.     

Electrocapillary phenomena at oil-water interfaces

Summary In order to discuss the structure of the electrical double layer at the oil-water interface, we measured the electrocapillary curves for various inorganic electrolyte aqueous solutions (aq. phase) in contact with the oil phase containing surface active agents (oil phase). When the aqueous phase contained the potassium halide, the depression of the interfacial tension over the cathodic polarization range due to the adsorption of the surface active agent, i. e. cetyl pyridinium chloride or cytyltrimethylammonium chloride, was suppressed strongly. The suppression was larger for the anion of larger crystal radius. This phenomenon indicated that the adsorbed surface active ion was neutralised by the binding of counter-ions. When the oil phase contained sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate, the interfacial tension was depressed over the anodic polarization region. This depression was again suppressed by the counter-ion binding. The order of this suppression for various divalent cations agreed with that of the binding ability to chondroitin sulphate. Moreover, high valent cations had strong binding ability. These counter-ion binding support the idea of the penetration of polar groups of orientated surface active agents into the aqueous phase at the oil-water interface.

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Zusammenfassung Um Aussagen über die Struktur der elektrischen Doppelschicht an Öl-Wasser-Grenzflächen zu erhalten, wurden die Elektrokapillaritätskurven von wässerigen Lösungen verschiedener anorganischer Salze in Kontakt mit der Ölphase, die grenzflächenaktive Stoffe enthielt, gemessen.Die durch Cetylpyridiniumchlorid oder cetyltrimethylammoniumchlorid in der Ölphase bewirkte Erniedrigung der Grenzflächenspannung wurde im Bereich der kationischen Polarisation durch Kaliumhalogenide in der wässerigen Phase aufgehoben. Die Wirkung des anorganischen Salzes wurde mit zunehmendem Anionenradius stärker.Die durch Natriumdodecylbenzolsulfonat bewirkte Erniedrigung der Grenzflächenspannung wurde durch die Kaliumhalogenide im Bereich der anodischen Polarisation aufgehoben. Die Wirkung zweiwertiger Kationen lief parallel mit der Bindungsfestigkeit dieser Ionen an Chondroitinsulfat.Diese Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, daß die adsorbierten grenzflächenaktiven Ionen in ihrer Wirkung durch die Bindung von Gegenionen neutralisiert werden und daß die polaren Gruppen der an der Öl-Wasser-Grenzfläche orientierten grenzflächenaktiven Molekeln in die wässerige Phase eindringen.

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With 7 figures and 1 table     

Electrocapillary phenomena at oil-water interfaces

Summary The electrocapillary phenomena at oil-water interfaces, i. e. the change in the interfacial tension with an applied potential difference, take place over a moderate polarization range of ca. 20 to –20 V, when the systems have sufficiently high electric conductance and contain surface active agents. Experiments were carried out in the presence of potassium chloride in the aqueous phase and ionic surface active agents in the oil phase, respectively. It was found that the interfacial tension was suppressed over the cathodic or anodic polarization range, depending on whether the surface active agent used was cationic or anionic, respectively. Here the sign of polarization was conventionally taken as that of the water phase with respect to the oil phase. It was then concluded by the use of theLippmann-Helmholtz equation that the water side of the interface is charged positively or negatively in the respective case mentioned above. It appears that this charge is due to the counter ion layer which is formed corresponding to the adsorption of ionic surface active agents on the oil side.

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Zusammenfassung Die Elektrokapillarität von Öl-Wasser-Grenzflächen mit Kaliumchlorid in den wässerigen und grenzflächenaktiven Ionen in der Ölphase wurde bei geringer Polarisation im Bereich von +20 V bis –20 V untersucht. Dabei wurde beobachtet, daß die Grenzflächenspannung durch kationische bzw. anionische Polarisation erniedrigt wurde, je nachdem, ob die grenzflächenaktiven Stoffe kationisch oder anionisch waren. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit Hilfe derLippmann-Helmholtz-Gleichung gedeutet. Es bildet sich eine elektrische Doppelschicht mit den grenzflächenaktiven Ionen an der Ölschicht und den anorganischen Gegenionen an der wässerigen Seite der Grenzfläche.

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With 10 figures and 2 tables     

Electrocapillary phenomena at oil-water interfaces

Summary The interfacial tension, between the oil phase containing an ionic surface active agent and the aqueous phase containing an inorganic electrolyte, is a function of the potential difference applied to the two phases from an outer circuit. This phenomenon, the electrocapillarity at oil-water interfaces, was used by the present authors to study the structure of electrical double layers and the interaction between surface active agent ions and counterions. In the present study an amphoteric material, the lecithin, was used as the surface active agent, and its adsorption and dissociation behaviours as well as its interaction with counterions were examined. It was found that the lecithin dissolved in the oil phase behaved as the cationic or anionic surface active agent according as the p_H of the aqueous phase was acidic or alkaline. This showed that the ionic groups of the lecithin molecule are immersed into the aqueous side of the interface. Since the interfacial tension was independent of the applied potential at the interfacial isoelectric point, this point could be measured with a high sensitivity. The ionic species of the inorganic electrolyte in the aqueous phase had a marked influence on the isoelectric point. The reversal of charge spectra thus obtained were found to agree fairly well with that obtained by other authors using electrophoretic measurement.With 12 figures     

SAXS and SANS studies of polymer colloids

The analysis of latex particles by small-angle scattering (small-angle X-ray scattering, SAXS; small-angle neutron scattering, SANS) is reviewed. Small-angle scattering techniques give information on the radial structure of the particles as well as on their spatial correlation. Recent progress in instrumentation allows to extend SANS and SAXS to the q-range of light scattering. Moreover, contrast variation employed in SANS and SAXS studies may lead to an unambiguous determination of the radial scattering length density of the particles in situ, i.e. in suspension. Hence, these techniques are highly valuable for a comprehensive analysis of polymer colloids as shown by the examples discussed herein.     

A two-state solvent model for rigid rods adsorption at charged interfaces

A simple two-state solvent model is developed to describe the adsorption of rigid rods at polarizable interfaces. The adsorption isotherm and the equation of state are determined by means of the lattice theory of strictly regular solutions, assuming that the solvent at the interface exists in the form of monomers with two possible orientations, and the adsorbed rods are oriented normal to the electrode surface. In the case of the mercury/aqueous inert electrolyte interface in the presence of small, polar, aliphatic hydrocarbon derivatives, the model predicts that the variation of the isotherm interaction parameter is determined mainly by the dipole-dipole interactions between the permanent dipoles of the adsorbed molecules. This variation becomes more pronounced as the dipolar interactions between adsorbate-solvent molecules become more intense. The Marshall-Conway treatment for the polarization catastrophe and the approach of Levine et al. in incorporating polarizability effects are also taken into consideration and examined critically.     

Applications of stopped-flow in SAXS and SANS

Stopped-flow apparatus coupled with a large variety of detection techniques is one of the most frequently used instruments to study rapid kinetics. With the recent technical advances of small angle scattering beam-lines and more particularly in the fields of electronics and detectors, the 10 last years have seen the development of combined stopped-flow and small angle neutron or X-ray experiments. Time resolutions of the order of 10 ms for X-rays to 100 ms for neutrons allow one to follow the very early stages of the sample formation. This review presents recent applications in the fields of soft matter and biology. The different studies reveal pathways and intermediate states during phase transitions, which are of fundamental importance to understand and control the properties at equilibrium.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of charged nanoparticle self-assembly at ionic liquid-water and ionic liquid-oil interfaces

Nanoparticle self-assembly at liquid-liquid interfaces can be significantly affected by the individual nanoparticle charges. This is particularly true at ionic liquid (IL) based interfaces, where Coulombic forces play a major role. Employing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)]) as a model IL, we have studied the self-assembly of hydrophobic nanoparticles with different surface charges at the IL/water and IL/oil (hexane) interfaces using molecular dynamics simulations. In the IL/water system, the nanoparticles were initially dispersed in the water phase but quickly equilibrated at the interface, somewhat in favor of the IL phase. This preference was lessened with increased nanoparticle charge. In the IL/hexane system, all charged nanoparticles interacted with the IL to some extent, whereas the uncharged nanoparticles remained primarily in the hexane phase. Potential of mean force calculations supported the observations from the equilibrium studies and provided new insights into the interactions of the nanoparticles and ionic liquid based interfaces.     

Adsorbed and spread beta-casein monolayers at oil-water interfaces

A previous study (Langmuir 2003, 19, 8436) used a Langmuir type pendant drop film balance to form beta-casein monolayers at the air-water interface. The present paper reports the application of that technique to the formation of protein monolayers at liquid interfaces. This technique allows a direct comparison between spread and adsorbed beta-casein interfacial behaviors that is presented in terms of their pi-A isotherms and static elasticity moduli. Pi-A isotherms of adsorbed and spread protein have been compared and found to be fairly similar in shape, stability, and also hysteresis phenomena. Examination of the elasticity moduli of both layers shows a similar analogy although slight differences arise and are interpreted in terms of the protein unfolding extent attained by both procedures at the oil interface.     

Sandwich structures at oil-water interfaces under alkaline conditions

Equilibrium liquid crystal (LC) layer on an interface between crude oils and water was observed at high pH. This layer is composed mainly of sodium naphthenates produced in situ at the water/oil interface. Transient LC layer was also evolved at the interface of aqueous phase of sodium hydroxide solutions and oleic phase of naphthenic acid (NA) solutions as result of a chemical reaction between NaOH and NA. This chemical reaction causes transport process resulting in a disturbance of the interface. Optical observation of this interface disturbance reviled that the interface covered with LC shows considerably lower flexibility as compared to LC free interface. The LC layer eventually dissolves in the water phase at low oil-to-water ratio, while at high oil-to-water ratio it can form an equilibrium phase, which spreads spontaneously at the oil-water interface.     

Bidirectional nanoparticle crossing of oil-water interfaces induced by different stimuli: insight into phase transfer

Swap transactions: Bidirectional spontaneous transfer of gold nanoparticles coated with stimuli-responsive polymer brushes across oil-water interfaces has been implemented. The water-to-oil transfer of the gold nanoparticles is dictated by the ionic strength in water, while the nanoparticle oil-to-water transfer occurs only when the environmental temperature is reduced below 5?°C.     

Different types of phase transitions at charged interfaces: A thermodynamic analysis

A thermodynamic treatment of surface phase transitions due to orientational and structural effects is presented. It is shown that thermodynamics predict only two types of surface phase transitions: separation of the interface into two new phases and a kind of two-dimensional condensation. The first type takes place when both adsorbate and solvent molecules coexist at the interface. The new phases may be concentrated surface solutions of adsorbate in solvent and vice versa or pure adsorbate and a concentrated surface solution of adsorbate in solvent. In the last case, the adsorbate may be expelled in the form of a surface precipitate or micelles. The second type of surface phase transition occurs only at saturated interfaces with adsorbate molecules. Orientational and structural effects do not lead to independent transitions, as in bulk phases, but coexist in the two types of surface phase transitions. Rigorous relationships, which describe the transition region, are also developed and discussed.     

Molecular simulation of hydrophobin adsorption at an oil-water interface

Hydrophobins are small, amphiphilic proteins expressed by strains of filamentous fungi. They fulfill a number of biological functions, often related to adsorption at hydrophobic interfaces, and have been investigated for a number of applications in materials science and biotechnology. In order to understand the biological function and applications of these proteins, a microscopic picture of the adsorption of these proteins at interfaces is needed. Using molecular dynamics simulations with a chemically detailed coarse-grained potential, the behavior of typical hydrophobins at the water-octane interface is studied. Calculation of the interfacial adsorption strengths indicates that the adsorption is essentially irreversible, with adsorption strengths of the order of 100 k(B)T (comparable to values determined for synthetic nanoparticles but significantly larger than small molecule surfactants and biomolecules). The protein structure at the interface is unchanged at the interface, which is consistent with the biological function of these proteins. Comparison of native proteins with pseudoproteins that consist of uniform particles shows that the surface structure of these proteins has a large effect on the interfacial adsorption strengths, as does the flexibility of the protein.     

Functional noble metal nanoparticle superlattices grown at interfaces

Nanoparticle crystals or superlattices (SLs) are three dimensional arrangements of nanoparticles in the micrometre regime. In SLs, the particles are periodically arranged in a coherent long range order and hence they show collective properties. Various spectroscopic, scattering and imaging techniques have been used to understand the structure of self-assembled SLs. Extensive interest in particle SLs is due to the collective properties of the building blocks, which help us to understand the evolution in properties of organized structures. Controlling the assembly of such organized solids may open up new opportunities for fundamental studies as well as for engineering advanced materials with useful attributes. This review presents our efforts in creating SLs of noble metal nanoparticles and studies performed with those materials.     

SANS and SAXS studies on the structure of a liquid-crystalline palladium complex

The neutron and X-ray small angle scattering data obtained from the cyclopalladated 4-dodecyloxy-4-methylazobenzene liquid crystal [(DOMAB)-PdCl]₂ are discussed. The results show that this compound forms several different solids whose nature should be related to different intermolecular contributions to the anisotropic intermolecular potential. Moreover in both the nematic and S_A phases, the characteristic lengths are found to be shorter than the theoretical values; in order to understand this peculiar behaviour, different interpretative models are discussed.