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Biocompatible and pH-Responsive Colloidal Surfactants with Tunable Shape for Controlled Interfacial Curvature |
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| Authors: | Zhu Sun Chenjing Yang Fan Wang Baiheng Wu Baiqi Shao Zhuocheng Li Dong Chen Zhenzhong Yang Kai Liu |
| Affiliation: | 1. Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China;2. State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022 China;3. Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China;4. Institute of Process Equipment, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China;5. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China |
| Abstract: | Molecular-surfactant-stabilized emulsions are susceptible to coalescence and Ostwald ripening. Amphiphilic particles, which have a much stronger anchoring strength at the interface, could effectively alleviate these problems to form stable Pickering emulsions. Herein, we describe a versatile method to fabricate biocompatible amphiphilic dimer particles through controlled coprecipitation and phase separation. The dimer particles consist of a hydrophobic PLA bulb and a hydrophilic shellac–PEG bulb, thus resembling nonionic molecular surfactants. The size and diameter ratio of the dimer particles are readily tunable, providing flexible control over the water/oil interfacial curvature and thus the type of emulsion. The particle-stabilized emulsions were stable for a long period of time and could be destabilized through a pH-triggered response. The biocompatible amphiphilic dimer particles with tunable morphology and functionality are thus ideal colloidal surfactants for various applications. |
| Keywords: | amphiphiles colloidal surfactants dimer particles emulsions pH response |