Janus particles at liquid-liquid interfaces

Following recent theoretical predictions, we report on the first experiments on the interfacial activity of so-called Janus nanoparticles (i.e., bifacial particles consisting of a gold and an iron oxide moiety). Using pendant drop tensiometry, we show that the amphiphilicity derived from the Janus character of the particles leads to a significantly higher interfacial activity compared to that of the respective homogeneous particles of the same size. The self-assembly of Janus particles at the hexane-water interface results in a significant decrease in the interfacial tension. Furthermore, we demonstrate control over the interfacial activity by tuning the particles' amphiphilicity via ligand-exchange reactions.