Amphiphilic silica nanoparticles at the decane-water interface: insights from atomistic simulations

Molecular Dynamics Study of Silica Nanoparticles and CO2-Switchable Surfactants at an Oil-Water Interface

Adsorbing CO2-sensitive surfactants on the surface of nanoparticles is an important strategy for preparing stimuli-responsive Pickering emulsions. However, the microscopic mechanisms are still limited, owing to a lack of intuitive understanding at the molecular level on the interactions between nanoparticle and switchable surfactants at the oil-water interface. We employed the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore the mechanism behind the reversible emulsification/demulsification of a Pickering emulsion stabilized by silica nanoparticles (NPs) and CO2-switchable surfactants, named N-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)alkyl amide (CPMA). MD results show that the protonated surfactant CPMAH+ has strong hydrophilicity, forming an adsorption layer at the oil-water interface. The ionic surfactants can be tightly adsorbed on NP surface through electrostatic interactions. Thus, the formed colloid particle has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties, which is a key factor in stabilizing emulsion. When CPMAH+ molecules were deprotonated to CPMA, the hydration activity of the headgroups reduced greatly, inducing a mixture with oil molecules. There are still a certain number of CPMA molecules residing at the oil-water interface due to the hydrophilic amine groups. The results from repeated simulations show that NP can either stay in the water phase or locate at the interface. Even NP was finally adsorbed on the interface and combined with CPMA or oil molecules, the adsorption configuration of CPMA on the NP surface was essentially different from that of CPMAH+. The potential of mean force confirmed that the combination between NP and CPMA is quite unstable due to the disappearance of electrostatic attraction. Different binding configurations and stability between NP and CPMA or CPMAH+ were the fundamental reason for the reversible emulsification/demulsification of Pickering emulsion.

Evaporation-driven assembly of colloidal nanoparticles into clusters: A dissipative particle dynamics study

In this work we consider a simulation strategy for assembling Janus nanoparticles in oil-in-water emulsion droplets by evaporation based on the dissipative particle dynamics method. Our simple method reproduces all the observed cluster configurations that have been explored experimentally. In addition, the kinetic process of cluster formation is systematically investigated. We observe a structural transition from spherical packings to minimal second-moment configurations via visual inspection and a simple angle parameter. We reveal that the critical volume at which the transition occurs is a cubic function of the number of particles, N. Our approach also allows us to anticipate higher-order clusters, overcoming the limitations of the standard methods in the literature. Similarly to small N values, we find that for each N in the range of 16-39, all final clusters have a unique configuration.

Microscopic insights on clathrate hydrate growth from non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations

Clathrate hydrates form and grow at interfaces. Understanding the relevant molecular processes is crucial for developing hydrate-based technologies. Many computational studies focus on hydrate growth within the aqueous phase using the 'direct coexistence method', which is limited in its ability to investigate hydrate film growth at hydrocarbon-water interfaces. To overcome this shortcoming, a new simulation setup is presented here, which allows us to study the growth of a methane hydrate nucleus in a system where oil-water, hydrate-water, and hydrate-oil interfaces are all simultaneously present, thereby mimicking experimental setups. Using this setup, hydrate growth is studied here under the influence of two additives, a polyvinylcaprolactam oligomer and sodium dodecyl sulfate, at varying concentrations. Our results confirm that hydrate films grow along the oil-water interface, in general agreement with visual experimental observations; growth, albeit slower, also occurs at the hydrate-water interface, the interface most often interrogated via simulations. The results obtained demonstrate that the additives present within curved interfaces control the solubility of methane in the aqueous phase, which correlates with hydrate growth rate. Building on our simulation insights, we suggest that by combining data for the potential of mean force profile for methane transport across the oil-water interface and for the average free energy required to perturb a flat interface, it is possible to predict the performance of additives used to control hydrate growth. These insights could be helpful to achieve optimal methane storage in hydrates, one of many applications which are attracting significant fundamental and applied interests.

Hybrid Nanoparticles at Fluid-Fluid Interfaces: Insight from Theory and Simulation

Hybrid nanoparticles that combine special properties of their different parts have numerous applications in electronics, optics, catalysis, medicine, and many others. Of the currently produced particles, Janus particles and ligand-tethered (hairy) particles are of particular interest both from a practical and purely cognitive point of view. Understanding their behavior at fluid interfaces is important to many fields because particle-laden interfaces are ubiquitous in nature and industry. We provide a review of the literature, focusing on theoretical studies of hybrid particles at fluid-fluid interfaces. Our goal is to give a link between simple phenomenological models and advanced molecular simulations. We analyze the adsorption of individual Janus particles and hairy particles at the interfaces. Then, their interfacial assembly is also discussed. The simple equations for the attachment energy of various Janus particles are presented. We discuss how such parameters as the particle size, the particle shape, the relative sizes of different patches, and the amphiphilicity affect particle adsorption. This is essential for taking advantage of the particle capacity to stabilize interfaces. Representative examples of molecular simulations were presented. We show that the simple models surprisingly well reproduce experimental and simulation data. In the case of hairy particles, we concentrate on the effects of reconfiguration of the polymer brushes at the interface. This review is expected to provide a general perspective on the subject and may be helpful to many researchers and technologists working with particle-laden layers.

Hydrophilic Silica Nanoparticles in O/W Emulsion: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Previous studies have been carried out on the effect of silica nanoparticles (SNPs) on the stability of oil-water emulsions. However, the combining configuration of SNPs and oil droplets at the molecular level and the effect of SNP content on the coalescence behavior of oil droplets cannot be obtained through experiments. In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to investigate the adsorption configuration of hydrophilic SNPs in an O/W emulsion system, and the effect of adsorption of SNPs on coalescence of oil droplets. The simulation results showed: (i) SNPs adsorbed on the surface of oil droplets, and excessive SNPs self-aggregated and connected by hydrogen bonds. (ii) Partially hydrophilic asphaltene and resin molecules formed adsorption configurations with SNPs, which changed the distribution of oil droplet components. Furthermore, compared with hydrophobic asphaltene, the hydrophilic asphaltene was easier to combine with SNPs. (iii) SNPs would extend the oil droplet coalescence time, and the π-π stacking structures were formed between asphaltene and asphaltene or resin molecules to enhance the connection between oil droplets during the oil droplet contact process. (iv) Enough SNPs tightly wrapped around the oil droplet, similar to the formation of a rigid film on the surface of an oil droplet, which hindered the contact and coalescence of components between oil droplets.

Long-Range Ionic and Short-Range Hydration Effects Govern Strongly Anisotropic Clay Nanoparticle Interactions

The aggregation of clay particles in aqueous solution is a ubiquitous everyday process of broad environmental and technological importance. However, it is poorly understood at the all-important atomistic level since it depends on a complex and dynamic interplay of solvent-mediated electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and dispersion interactions. With this in mind, we have performed an extensive set of classical molecular dynamics simulations (included enhanced sampling simulations) on the interactions between model kaolinite nanoparticles in pure and salty water. Our simulations reveal highly anisotropic behavior, in which the interaction between the nanoparticles varies from attractive to repulsive depending on the relative orientation of the nanoparticles. Detailed analysis reveals that at large separation (>1.5 nm), this interaction is dominated by electrostatic effects, whereas at smaller separations, the nature of the water hydration structure becomes critical. This study highlights an incredible richness in how clay nanoparticles interact, which should be accounted for in, for example, coarse-grained models of clay nanoparticle aggregation.

Assessment of nanoparticle immersion depth at liquid interfaces from chemically equivalent macroscopic surfaces

HYPOTHESIS

We test whether the wettability of nanoparticles (NPs) straddling at an air/water surface or oil/water interface can be extrapolated from sessile drop-derived macroscopic contact angles (mCAs) on planar substrates, assuming that both the nanoparticles and the macroscopic substrates are chemically equivalent and feature the same electrokinetic potential.

EXPERIMENTS

Pure silica (SiO₂) and amino-terminated silica (APTES-SiO₂) NPs are compared to macroscopic surfaces with extremely low roughness (root mean square [RMS] roughness ≤ 2 nm) or a roughness determined by a close-packed layer of NPs (RMS roughness ∼ 35 nm). Equivalence of the surface chemistry is assessed by comparing the electrokinetic potentials of the NPs via electrophoretic light scattering and of the macroscopic substrates via streaming current analysis. The wettability of the macroscopic substrates is obtained from advancing (ACAs) and receding contact angles (RCAs) and in situ synchrotron X-ray reflectivity (XRR) provided by the NP wettability at the liquid interfaces.

FINDINGS

Generally, the RCA on smooth surfaces provides a good estimate of NP wetting properties. However, mCAs alone cannot predict adsorption barriers that prevent NP segregation to the interface, as is the case with the pure SiO₂ nanoparticles. This strategy greatly facilitates assessing the wetting properties of NPs for applications such as emulsion formulation, flotation, or water remediation.

Surface morphology effects on clathrate hydrate wettability

HYPOTHESIS

Clathrate hydrates preferentially form at interfaces; hence, wetting properties play an important role in their formation, growth, and agglomeration. Experimental evidence suggests that the hydrate preparation process can strongly affect contact angle measurements, leading to the different results reported in the literature. These differences hamper technological progress. We hypothesize that changes in hydrate surface morphologies are responsible for the wide variation of contact angles reported in the literature.

EXPERIMENTS

Experimental testing of our hypothesis is problematic due to the preparation history of hydrates on their surface properties, and the difficulties in advanced surface characterization. Thus, we employ molecular dynamics simulations, which allow us to systematically change the interfacial features and the system composition. Implementing advanced algorithms, we quantify fundamental thermodynamic properties to validate our observations.

FINDINGS

We achieve excellent agreement with experimental observations for both atomically smooth and rough hydrate surfaces. Our results suggest that contact line pinning forces, enhanced by surface heterogeneity, are accountable for altering water contact angles, thus explaining the differences among reported experimental data. Our analysis and molecular level insights help interpret adhesion force measurements and yield a better understanding of the agglomeration between hydrate particles, providing a microscopic tool for advancing flow assurance applications.

Water/oil interfacial tension reduction - an interfacial entropy driven process

The interfacial tension (IFT) of a fluid-fluid interface plays an important role in a wide range of applications and processes. When low IFT is desired, surface active compounds (e.g. surfactants) can be added to the system. Numerous attempts have been made to relate changes in IFT arising from such compounds to the specific nature of the interface. However, the IFT is controlled by an interplay of factors such as temperature and molecular structure of surface-active compounds, which make it difficult to predict IFT as those conditions change. In this study, we present the results from molecular dynamics simulations revealing the specific role surfactants play in IFT. We find that, in addition to reducing direct contact between the two fluids, surfactants serve to increase the disorder at the interface (related to interfacial entropy) and consequently reduce the water/oil IFT, especially when surfactants are present at high surface density. Our results suggest that surfactants that yield more disordered interfacial films (e.g. with flexible and/or unsaturated tails) reduce the water/oil IFT more effectively than surfactants which yield highly ordered interfacial films. Our results shed light on some of the factors that control IFT and could have important practical implications in industrial applications such as the design of cosmetics, food products, and detergents.

Lattice Model of Multilayer Adsorption of Particles with Orientation Dependent Interactions at Solid Surfaces

A simple lattice model has been used to study the formation of multilayer films by fluids with orientation-dependent interactions on solid surfaces. The particles, composed of two halves (A and B) were allowed to take on one of six different orientations. The interaction between a pair of differently oriented neighboring particles was assumed to depend on the degrees to which their A and B parts overlap. Here, we have assumed that the AA interaction was strongly attractive, the AB interaction was set to zero, while the BB interaction was varied between 0 and -1.0. The ground state properties of the model have been determined for the systems being in contact with non-selective and selective walls over the entire range of BB interaction energies between 0 and -1.0. It has been demonstrated that the structure of multilayer films depends on the strengths of surface potential felt by differently oriented particles and the interaction between the B halves of fluid particles. Finite temperature behavior has been studied by Monte Carlo simulation methods. It has been shown that the bulk phase phase diagram is qualitatively independent of the BB interaction energy, and has the swan neck shape, since the high stability of the dense ordered phase suppresses the possibility of the formation of disordered liquid-like phase. Only one class of non-uniform systems with the BB interaction set to zero has been considered. The results have been found to be consistent with the predictions stemming form the ground state considerations. In particular, we have found that a complete wetting occurs at any temperature, down to zero. Furthermore, the sequences of layering transitions, and the structure of multilayer films, have been found to be the same as observed in the ground state.

Multiphase Microreactors Based on Liquid-Liquid and Gas-Liquid Dispersions Stabilized by Colloidal Catalytic Particles

Pickering emulsions, foams, bubbles, and marbles are dispersions of two immiscible liquids or of a liquid and a gas stabilized by surface‐active colloidal particles. These systems can be used for engineering liquid–liquid–solid and gas–liquid–solid microreactors for multiphase reactions. They constitute original platforms for reengineering multiphase reactors towards a higher degree of sustainability. This Review provides a systematic overview on the recent progress of liquid–liquid and gas–liquid dispersions stabilized by solid particles as microreactors for engineering eco‐efficient reactions, with emphasis on biobased reagents. Physicochemical driving parameters, challenges, and strategies to (de)stabilize dispersions for product recovery/catalyst recycling are discussed. Advanced concepts such as cascade and continuous flow reactions, compartmentalization of incompatible reagents, and multiscale computational methods for accelerating particle discovery are also addressed.

Armored Droplets as Soft Nanocarriers for Encapsulation and Release under Flow Conditions

Technical challenges in precision medicine and environmental remediation create an increasing demand for smart materials that can select and deliver a probe load to targets with high precision. In this context, soft nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to simultaneously adapt their morphology and functionality to complex ambients. Two major challenges are to precisely control this adaptability under dynamic conditions and provide predesigned functionalities that can be manipulated by external stimuli. Here, we report on the computational design of a distinctive class of soft nanocarriers, built from armored nanodroplets, able to selectively encapsulate or release a probe load under specific flow conditions. First, we describe in detail the mechanisms at play in the formation of pocket-like structures in armored nanodroplets and their stability under external flow. Then we use that knowledge to test the capacity of these pockets to yield flow-assisted encapsulation or expulsion of a probe load. Finally, the rheological properties of these nanocarriers are put into perspective with those of delivery systems employed in pharmaceutical and cosmetic technology.

Molecular Insight into the Adsorption Thermodynamics and Interfacial Behavior of GOs at the Liquid-Liquid Interface

The adsorption of two-dimensional (2-D) graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets at liquid-liquid interfaces has broad technological implications from functional material preparations to oil-water emulsification. Molecular-level understanding of the adsorption thermodynamics and the interfacial behavior is of great significance. Here, the adsorption free energy of GO nanosheets at the water-cyclohexane system was simulated, in which the effect of oxygen-containing groups and deprotonation has been investigated. It was observed that the neutral GO (GO-COOH) has obvious interfacial activity with a reduction of interfacial tension, while the deprotonated GO (GO-COO^-) shows a weak interface affinity. There exists an optimal oxidization degree that could cause the best interfacial stability, which is attributed to the balance of interfacial hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions. The interaction arising from water is the main factor determining interfacial activity. The interfacial morphology and dynamics of GO nanosheets have also been simulated, in which an anisotropic 2-D translation and rotation along the interface were revealed. Our simulation results provide new insight into the adsorption mechanism and dynamics behavior of GO at the oil-water interface.

Self-assembly of mono- and poly-dispersed nanoparticles on emulsion droplets: antagonistic vs. synergistic effects as a function of particle size

In this work, using Dissipative Particle Dynamics simulations, we provide fundamental insights into the self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) on droplet surfaces in an oil-in-water emulsion. We highlight the effect of particle size on the arrangement of NPs for different interparticle interactions. NPs of two different sizes were considered. In general, when the NP-NP interaction is changed from repulsive to attractive, a transition in the NP arrangement occurs from weekly-connected networks to clusters of NPs separated by particle-free domains. When NP-NP interactions are strongly attractive, NPs yield small 3D aggregates on the droplet surface. These arrangements seem to agree with experimental observations reported in the literature. In addition, our simulations suggest that small NPs are able to diffuse more easily on the droplet surface, which leads to prompt self-organisation, while large NPs are more likely to form metastable structures, perhaps because of slow mobility and strong adsorption to the interface. Our analysis suggests that thermal fluctuations could provide the activation energy for the small NPs to escape local minima in the free energy landscape. The results obtained for systems containing NPs of two sizes provide evidence of size segregation on the droplet surface, which could be useful when NP self-assemblies are used, for example, to template supra-molecular materials. However, analysis of the simulated trajectories suggests that the results depend strongly on the initial configuration, as the larger NPs seem to impose barriers for the small NPs to adsorb and diffuse on the droplet surface.

Pt-SiO2 Janus Particles and the Water/Oil Interface: A Competition between Motility and Thermodynamics

Various aspects of the behavior of Janus particles near liquid/liquid interfaces have been studied through different experimental and theoretical realizations, but the effect of motility on the behavior of Janus particles near liquid/liquid interfaces has not been investigated, yet. Here, we demonstrate the ability to engineer the behavior of highly interfacial active Janus particles near a water/oil interface by introducing motility to the system. Passive, i.e., nonmotile, platinum-capped 8 μm silica (Pt-SiO₂) Janus particles exhibit a strong tendency to attach to water/oil interfaces with the Pt-cap facing the oil and the SiO₂ side facing the water phase. In contrast, we show that active, i.e., motile, 8 μm Pt-SiO₂ Janus particles approach the interface, orient in a sideways fashion with the Janus boundary perpendicular to the interface, and then swim in the vicinity of the interface similar to observations reported near solid/liquid interfaces. Active Pt-SiO₂ Janus particles near the water/oil interface show motility as a result of adding H₂O₂ to the particle solution. The decomposition of H₂O₂ into O₂ and H₂O creates a nonuniform gradient of O₂ around the particle that hydrodynamically interacts with the water/decalin boundary. The interaction enables rotation of the particle within the swimming plane that is parallel to the interface but restricts rotation in and out of the swimming plane, thereby preventing adsorption to the liquid/liquid interface.

Controlling Catalyst-Phase Selectivity in Complex Mixtures with Amphiphilic Janus Particles

Amphiphilic Janus particles with a catalyst selectively loaded on either the hydrophobic or hydrophilic region are promising candidates for efficient and phase-selective interfacial catalysis. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of Janus silica particles with a hydrophilic silica domain and a silane-modified hydrophobic domain produced via a wax masking technique. Palladium nanoparticles were regioselectively deposited on the hydrophobic side, and the phase selectivity of the catalytic Janus particles was established through the kinetic studies of benzyl alcohol hydrodeoxygenation (HDO). These studies indicated that the hydrophobic moiety provided nearly 100× the catalytic activity as the hydrophilic side for benzyl alcohol HDO. The reactivity was linked to the anisotropic catalyst design through microscopy of the particles. The catalysts were also used to achieve phase-specific compartmentalized hydrogenation and selective in situ catalytic degradation of a model oily pollutant in a complex oil/water mixture.

Surface Activity of Smart Hybrid Polysiloxane-co-N-isopropylacrylamide Microgels

Amphiphilic smart gels of different sizes (macro, micro, and nano) are widely used in advanced medical, industrial, and environmental applications. They are sensitive, responsive to different environments, and possess a high surface activity to adsorb onto different interfaces. In this study, new amphiphilic alkoxysilane-containing microgels, hybrid polysiloxane microgel, and silica nanoparticles were prepared using a cross-linking surfactant-free cross-linking polymerization technique for N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomers. Vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTS) was used as a silane precursor in the cross-linking polymerization to hydrolyze with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in ammonia using an emulsion technique, to create polysiloxane microgel and silica nanoparticles. The surface activity measurements confirmed that NIPAm/VTS had a higher surface activity than NIPAm/AMPS-VTS microgels and their hybrid polysiloxane microgel owing to the differences of the cross-linking of microgels from the center to the microgel periphery, which alter their morphologies.

Impact of Surface Amphiphilicity on the Interfacial Behavior of Janus Particle Layers under Compression

Langmuir monolayers of silica/gold Janus particles with two different degrees of amphiphilicity have been examined to study the significance of particle surface amphiphilicity on the structure and mechanical properties of the interfacial layers. The response of the layers to the applied compression provides insight into the nature and strength of the interparticle interactions. Different collapse modes observed for the interfacial layers are linked to the amphiphilicity of Janus particles and their configuration at the interface. Molecular dynamics simulations on nanoparticles with similar contact angles provide insight on the arrangement of particles at the interface and support our conclusion that the interfacial configuration and collapse of anisotropic particles at the air/water interface are controlled by particle amphiphilicity.

Tunable viscosity modification with diluted particles: when particles decrease the viscosity of complex fluids

While spherical particles are the most studied viscosity modifiers, they are well known only to increase viscosities, in particular at low concentrations of approx. 1%. Extended studies and theories on non-spherical particles in simple fluids find a more complicated behavior, but still a steady increase with increasing concentration. Involving platelets in combination with complex fluids—in our case, a bicontinuous microemulsion—displays an even more complex scenario that we analyze experimentally and theoretically as a function of platelet diameter using small angle neutron scattering, rheology, and the theory of the lubrication effect, to find the underlying concepts. The clay particles effectively form membranes in the medium that itself may have lamellar aligned domains and surfactant films in the case of the microemulsion. The two-stage structure of clay and surfactant membranes explains the findings using the theory of the lubrication effect. This confirms that layered domain structures serve for lowest viscosities. Starting from these findings and transferring the condition for low viscosities to other complex fluids, namely crude oils, even lowered viscosities with respect to the pure crude oil were observed. This strengthens our belief that also here layered domains are formed as well. This apparent contradiction of a viscosity reduction by solid particles could lead to a wider range of applications where low viscosities are desired. The same concepts of two-stage layered structures also explain the observed conditions for extremely enhanced viscosities at particle concentrations of 1% that may be interesting for the food industry.

Controlling the stability of Pickering emulsions by pH-responsive nanoparticles

Electrostatic dissipative particle dynamics simulations were conducted to model the interactions between emulsion droplets stabilized by pH-sensitive polyelectrolyte-grafted nanoparticles. Using a steered molecular dynamics approach, a mechanistic study of forced coalescence was performed to probe the resistance between two particle-covered droplets. The degree of ionization of the grafted polyelectrolytes was adjusted to capture the pH responsiveness. The maximal resistance forces were measured to quantitatively discriminate the efficacy of particles in stabilizing emulsions at different degrees of ionization. Through analyzing droplet dynamics, resistance force variation, and electric field, we discovered that the resistance is attributed to direct electrostatic repulsion, the image charge effect near the water-oil interface, and steric hindrance among extended polymers. When the particle density on the droplet surface is relatively low, the increasing resistance forces at higher degrees of ionization can effectively prevent droplet coalescence. Oppositely, the ionization compromises emulsion stability when the particle surface coverage is high. Substantial desorption of particles from the interface was triggered as the degree of ionization increases. This in turn reduces resistance force and facilitates coalescence. Moreover, the nanoparticles prevent coalescence at high surface coverages by forming dense layers at individual interfaces, while the particle bridges straddling two interfaces were found at low surface coverages, which can also keep the droplets apart.

Characterizing surface wetting and interfacial properties using enhanced sampling (SWIPES)

We introduce an accurate and efficient method for characterizing surface wetting and interfacial properties, such as the contact angle made by a liquid droplet on a solid surface, and the vapor-liquid surface tension of a fluid. The method makes use of molecular simulations in conjunction with the indirect umbrella sampling technique to systematically wet the surface and estimate the corresponding free energy. To illustrate the method, we study the wetting of a family of Lennard-Jones surfaces by water. For surfaces with a wide range of attractions for water, we estimate contact angles using our method, and compare them with contact angles obtained using droplet shapes. Notably, our method is able to capture the transition from partial to complete wetting as surface-water attractions are increased. Moreover, the method is straightforward to implement and is computationally efficient, providing accurate contact angle estimates in roughly 5 nanoseconds of simulation time.

An ionic liquid-functionalized amphiphilic Janus material as a Pickering interfacial catalyst for asymmetric sulfoxidation in water

Novel IL-functionalized amphiphilic Janus chiral salen Ti^IV catalysts behaved as Pickering interfacial catalysts, dramatically accelerating asymmetric sulfoxidation with aq. H₂O₂ in water through the formation of stable Pickering emulsions.

Nanoparticle-induced ion-sensitive reduction in decane-water interfacial tension

The synergistic effect of ions and nanoparticles on the interfacial tension is of great significance for extensive applications in interface-related industrial processes. However, its mechanisms are still unclear owing to a lack of understanding on the interaction between nanoparticles/ions at the interface. Here, we employ the molecular dynamics method to explore the synergistic effect of ions and nanoparticles on reducing the decane-water interfacial tension and reveal the dominant role of the three-phase contact angle and the interaction between nanoparticles. The results show that the reduction of interfacial tension is sensitive to cation species and temperature. The stronger hydration of cations induces an increased three-phase contact angle, weakening the interaction between nanoparticles and water molecules at the interface. Hence, the virial term of interfacial tension decreases. Meanwhile, the potential of mean force between nanoparticles at the interface indicates that the order of interaction strength between nanoparticles for different cations is Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+. The strong interaction between nanoparticles restricts the motion of nanoparticles and water molecules at the interface, inducing a reduced kinetic energy term of interfacial tension. Therefore, the interfacial tension decreases after adding the nanoparticles. Besides, as temperature rises, the difference in the adsorption ability of nanoparticles on water molecules causes a falling interfacial tension with a characteristic stage.

Aqueous hybrids of amino-functionalized nanosilica and acrylamide-based polymer for enhanced oil recovery

Amino-functionalized nanosilica (ANS) was prepared using nanosilica (NS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) aiming to reinforce the interaction between nanoparticles and polymer molecules. The copolymer of acrylamide, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (PM), and four ANS samples with different NS to APTES ratios were synthesized. A series of nanoparticle/polymer hybrid systems were fabricated by introducing NS or ANS suspension into PM aqueous solution. The rheological properties and surface activities of these hybrid systems were studied in comparison with PM. The results indicate that the salt-tolerance and heat-resistance properties of PM solution were improved by the introduction of ANS particles. Moreover, the structures of ANS samples have a significant effect on the effectiveness of the nanoparticles due to the fact that the amine group density on the ANS surface can affect the strength of intermolecular interaction between nanoparticles and polymer molecules. Additionally, the better ability of the ANS sample with proper amine group density showed in reducing the oil/water interfacial tension over NS and other ANS samples made it a more promising chemical for enhancing oil recovery. The results from core flooding tests show that the PM/ANS system has the greatest oil recovery factor (16.30%), while the values for PM/NS and PM are 10.84% and 6.00%, respectively.

The amino-functionalized nanosilica/polymer hybrid systems have better salt tolerance and EOR performance than unmodified nanosilica polymer hybrid systems.

Oil-Water Interfacial Tensions of Silica Nanoparticle-Surfactant Formulations

The implementation of nanotechnology in all industries is one of most significant research fields. Nanoparticles have shown a promising application in subsurface fields. On the other hand, various surfactants have been used in the oil industry to reduce oil/water interfacial tension and also widely used to stabilize the nano-suspensions. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the improvements of surfactants ability in term of interfacial tension (γ) reduction utilizing addition of silicon dioxide nanoparticles at different temperatures and salinity. The pendant drop technique has been used to measure γ and electrical conductivity has been used to measure the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The synergistic effects of surfactant-nanoparticles, salt-nanoparticles, and surfactant-salt-nanoparticles on γ reduction and the critical micelle concentration of the surfactants have been investigated. Extensive series of experiments for γ and CMC measurements were performed. The optimum condition for each formulation is shown. We conclude that nanoparticles-surfactant can significantly reduce γ if correctly formulated.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations on the Behaviors of Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Cyclic Peptide Nanotubes at the Water/Hexane Interface

In this work, nine kinds of amino acid residues, i.e., alanine (A), leucine (L), valine (V), isoleucine (I), tryptophan (W), glutamine (Q), threonine (T), serine (S), and cysteine (C), were selected to construct seven cyclic peptide nanotubes (CPNTs) with diverse hydrophilic/hydrophobic external surfaces, which were further separately inserted at the water/hexane interface to investigate their microstructures and interfacial properties. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that all the CPNTs except the QT- and VL-CPNTs have different degrees of tilt, fracture, and shedding at the interface. The end-CPs are more susceptible to the effect of the surroundings than the mid-CPs. The interactions of individual CP subunits with the neighborings disclose the firmness of the mid-CPs and the dissociation of the end-CPs. The results indicate that a hydrophobic CPNT is prone to stay at the interface, while a hydrophilic CPNT easily enters the water phase, resulting in many H-bonds with water. Results in this work enrich the dynamic properties of a hydrophilic/hydrophobic CPNT at the biphase interface at the atomic level.

Buckling in armored droplets

The buckling mechanism in droplets stabilized by solid particles (armored droplets) is tackled at a mesoscopic level using dissipative particle dynamics simulations. We consider one spherical water droplet in a decane solvent coated with nanoparticle monolayers of two different types: Janus (particles whose surface shows two regions with different wetting properties) and homogeneous. The chosen particles yield comparable initial three-phase contact angles, selected to maximize the adsorption energy at the interface. We study the interplay between the evolution of droplet shape, layering of the particles, and their distribution at the interface when the volume of the droplets is reduced. We show that Janus particles affect strongly the shape of the droplet with the formation of a crater-like depression. This evolution is actively controlled by a close-packed particle monolayer at the curved interface. In contrast, homogeneous particles follow passively the volume reduction of the droplet, whose shape does not deviate too much from spherical, even when a nanoparticle monolayer/bilayer transition is detected at the interface. We discuss how these buckled armored droplets might be of relevance in various applications including potential drug delivery systems and biomimetic design of functional surfaces.

A coarse-grain molecular dynamics study of oil-water interfaces in the presence of silica nanoparticles and nonionic surfactants

In this work, we have studied the effect of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles (NPs), in the presence of nonionic surfactants (Triethylene glycol monododecyl ether and Tween 20), on the oil-water (n-octane-water, n-dodecane-water and n-hexadecane-water) interfacial tensions (IFTs) at 300 K, using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations based on the MARTINI force field. Simulation results indicate that silica NPs solely do not affect the IFT. However, the silica NPs may or may not increase the IFT of oil-water containing nonionic surfactant, depending on the tendency of the surfactant to adsorb on the surface of NPs. The adsorption occurs due to the formation of hydrogen bonds, and adsorption increases with a decrease in pH, as seen in experimental studies. In this work, we found that the oil-water IFT increases with an increasing amount of adsorption of the surfactant on NPs. At a fixed amount of adsorption of the surfactant on NPs, the IFT behavior is indifferent to the change in concentration of NPs. However, the IFT decreases with an increase in surfactant concentration. We present a detailed analysis of the density profile and intrinsic width of the interface. The IFT behavior is found to correlate extremely well with the intrinsic width of the interface. The current study provides an explanation for the increase in IFT observed in a recent experiment [N. R. Biswal et al., J. Phys. Chem. B 120, 7265-7274 (2016)] for various types of NPs and nonionic surfactant systems.

Dynamics of Pickering Emulsions in the Presence of an Interfacial Reaction: A Simulation Study

Pickering emulsions combining surface-active and catalytic properties offer a promising platform for conducting interfacial reactions between immiscible reagents. Despite the significant progress in the design of Pickering interfacial catalysts for a broad panel of reactions, the dynamics of Pickering emulsions under reaction conditions is still poorly understood. Herein, using benzene hydroxylation with aqueous H₂O₂ as a model system, we explored the dynamics of benzene/water Pickering emulsions during reaction by dissipative particle dynamics. Our study points out that the surface wettability of the silica nanoparticles is affected to a higher extent by the degree of polymer grafting rather than an increase of the chain length of hydrophobic polymer moieties. A remarkable decline of the oil-in-water (O/W) interfacial tension was observed when increasing the yield of the reaction product (phenol), affecting the emulsion stability. However, phenol did not alter to an important extent the distribution of immiscible reagents around the nanoparticles sitting at the benzene/water interface. A synergistic effect between phenol and silica nanoparticles on the O/W interfacial tension of the biphasic system could be ascertained.

Simulations of graphitic nanoparticles at air-water interfaces

The free energy associated with transferring a set of fullerene particles through a finite water layer is calculated using explicit solvent molecular dynamic simulations. Each fullerene particle is a carbon network of one or more spheroidal shells of graphitic carbon, and include single-shell (single-wall) or nested multi-shelled (nano-onions) structures ranging from 6 to 28 Å in radius. Corresponding changes in energy suggest a stronger affinity of carbon nano-onions for water compared to their single-shelled analogues. In the case of multi-shelled structures, the free energy profiles display a global minimum only in the bulk liquid indicating a high affinity of multi-shelled fullerene for complete hydration. Single-wall particles however, display a minimum at the air-water interface and for particles larger than 2 nm this minimum is a global minimum possessing a lower energy compared to the particle's state of complete hydration. While the propensity for single-shell particles to adsorb to the air-interface may increase with increasing particle size, there is an indication based on line tension calculations that larger single-shell particles may actually exhibit enhanced wetting compared to their smaller analogues.

Nanoparticle Assemblies into Luminescent Dendrites in Shrinking Microdroplets

The self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) is essential for emerging dispersion-based energy-conscious technologies. Of particular interest are micro- and macro-scale self-organizing superstructures that can bridge 2D/3D processing scales. Here we report the spontaneous assembly of CdTe NPs within an aqueous microdroplet suspended in soybean oil. The gradual diffusion of the water into the surrounding medium results in shrinking of the microdroplet, and a concomitant formation of branched assemblies from CdTe NPs that evolve in size from ∼50 μm to ∼1000 μm. The fractal dimension of NP assemblies increases from ∼1.7 to ∼1.9 during the assembly process. We found that constituents of the soybean oil enter the aqueous solution across the microdroplet interface and affect NP assembly. The obtained NP dendrites can be further altered morphologically by illumination with light that results in the disassembly of the NP dendrites. The use of this microheterogeneous dispersion platform with partially soluble hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents highlights the sensitivity of the NP assembly process to environment and presents an opportunity to explore droplet-confined NP assembly.

Reversible Partitioning of Nanoparticles at an Oil-Water Interface

The reversible adsorption of nanoparticles (NPs) to oil-water interfaces has been observed experimentally, however, models capable of interpreting and predicting the equilibrium partitioning of particles between bulk media and fluid interfaces are still lacking. Here we characterize the adsorption of 5 nm gold NPs functionalized with ion-pair ligands at the toluene-water interface. Partitioning of the NPs between the bulk aqueous phase and the interface is measured via absorbance spectroscopy for two different aqueous-phase pH values (11.0 and 11.7) and over several orders of magnitude of aqueous phase NP concentration. The surface pressure of the interfacial film in equilibrium with the bulk aqueous phase is measured using the pendant drop method. We determine the range of surface pressure where the adsorption is reversible as well as conditions under which the adsorbed NPs are irreversibly adsorbed at the oil-water interface. We analyze together the adsorption and surface pressure isotherms to obtain the two-dimensional equations of state (EOS) for the NPs in equilibrium with the bulk aqueous phase. The experimental data are then compared to the Frumkin models. We find that the adsorption isotherm and the equation of state show good agreement at low coverage with the Frumkin equations; however, both curves cannot be described with the same parameters. We also show that the low-coverage portion of the EOS can also be described by a wetting model. We hypothesize that deviations from models at higher coverage are likely due to nonequilibrium effects and possible coadsorption.

Self-Assembly of Colloidal Nanocrystals: From Intricate Structures to Functional Materials

Chemical methods developed over the past two decades enable preparation of colloidal nanocrystals with uniform size and shape. These Brownian objects readily order into superlattices. Recently, the range of accessible inorganic cores and tunable surface chemistries dramatically increased, expanding the set of nanocrystal arrangements experimentally attainable. In this review, we discuss efforts to create next-generation materials via bottom-up organization of nanocrystals with preprogrammed functionality and self-assembly instructions. This process is often driven by both interparticle interactions and the influence of the assembly environment. The introduction provides the reader with a practical overview of nanocrystal synthesis, self-assembly, and superlattice characterization. We then summarize the theory of nanocrystal interactions and examine fundamental principles governing nanocrystal self-assembly from hard and soft particle perspectives borrowed from the comparatively established fields of micrometer colloids and block copolymer assembly. We outline the extensive catalog of superlattices prepared to date using hydrocarbon-capped nanocrystals with spherical, polyhedral, rod, plate, and branched inorganic core shapes, as well as those obtained by mixing combinations thereof. We also provide an overview of structural defects in nanocrystal superlattices. We then explore the unique possibilities offered by leveraging nontraditional surface chemistries and assembly environments to control superlattice structure and produce nonbulk assemblies. We end with a discussion of the unique optical, magnetic, electronic, and catalytic properties of ordered nanocrystal superlattices, and the coming advances required to make use of this new class of solids.

Hydrocarbon adsorption in an aqueous environment: A computational study of alkyls on Cu(111)

Hydrocarbon chains are important intermediates in various aqueous-phase surface processes, such as CO2 electroreduction, aqueous Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and aqueous phase reforming of biomass-derived molecules. Further, the interaction between water and adsorbed hydrocarbons represents a difficult case for modern computational methods. Here, we explore various methods for calculating the energetics of this interaction within the framework of density functional theory and explore trade-offs between the use of low water coverages, molecular dynamics approaches, and minima hopping for identification of low energy structures. An effective methodology for simulating low temperature processes is provided by using a unit cell in which the vacuum space is filled with water, employing the minima hopping algorithm to search for low-lying minima, and including dispersion (van der Waals) interactions. Using this methodology, we show that a high coverage of adsorbed alkyls is destabilized by the presence of water, while a low coverage of alkyls is stabilized. Solvation has a small effect on the energetics of hydrocarbon chain growth, generally decreasing its favorability at low temperatures. We studied higher temperatures by running molecular dynamics simulations starting at the minima found by the minima hopping algorithm and found that increased temperatures facilitate chain growth. The self-consistent continuum solvation method effectively describes the alkyl-water interaction and is in general agreement with the explicit solvation results in most cases, but care should be taken at high alkyl coverage.

Tilting and Tumbling of Janus Nanoparticles at Sheared Interfaces

We investigate the response of a single Janus nanoparticle adsorbed at an oil-water interface to imposed shear flows using molecular dynamics simulations. We consider particles of different geometry, including spheres, cylinders, and discs, and tune their degree of amphiphilicity by controlling the affinity of their two sides to the fluid phases. We observe that depending on the shape, amphiphilicity, and the applied shear rate, two modes of rotational dynamics takes place: a smooth tilt or a tumbling motion. We demonstrate that irrespective of this dynamic behavior, a steady-state orientation is eventually achieved as a result of the balance between the shear- and capillary-induced torques, which can be tuned by controlling the surface property and flow parameters. Our findings provide insight on using flow fields to tune particle orientation at an interface and to utilize it to direct their assembly into ordered monolayers.

Structural properties of polymer-brush-grafted gold nanoparticles at the oil-water interface: insights from coarse-grained simulations

In this work, the structural properties of amphiphilic polymer-brush-grafted gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at the oil-water interface were investigated by coarse-grained simulations. The effects of grafting architecture (diblock, mixed and Janus brush-grafted AuNPs) and hydrophilicity of polymer brushes are discussed. Simulation results indicate that functionalized AuNPs present abundant morphologies including typical core-shell, Janus-type, jellyfish-like, etc., in a water or oil-water solvent environment. It is found that hydrophobic/weak hydrophilic polymer-brush-grafted AuNPs have better phase transfer performance, especially for AuNPs modified with hydrophobic chains as outer blocks and weak hydrophilic chains as inner blocks. This kind of AuNP can cross the interface region and move into the oil phase completely. For hydrophobic/strong hydrophilic polymer-brush-grafted AuNPs, they are trapped in the interface region instead of moving into any phase. The mechanism of phase transfer is ascribed to the flexibility and mobility of outer blocks. Besides, we study the desorption energy by PMF analysis. The results demonstrate that Janus brush-grafted AuNPs show the highest interfacial stability and activity, which can be further strengthened by increasing the hydrophilicity of grafted polymer brushes. This work will promote the industrial applications of polymer-brush-grafted NPs such as phase transfer catalysis and Pickering emulsion catalysis.