1
|
Li W, Gao N, Zhang W, Feng K, Zhou K, Zhao H, He G, Liu W, Li G. Visual demonstration and prediction of the Hofmeister series based on a poly(ionic liquid) photonic array. NANOSCALE 2023. [PMID: 37194393 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr01531a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The Hofmeister effect and associated Hofmeister series (HS) are ubiquitous in physicochemical phenomena and have demonstrated fundamental importance in a myriad of fields ranging from chemistry to biology. Visualization of the HS not only helps to straightforwardly understand the underpinning mechanism, but also enables the prediction of new ion positions in the HS and directs the applications of the Hofmeister effect. Owing to the difficulties of sensing and reporting complete multiple and subtle inter- and intramolecular interactions involved in the Hofmeister effect, facile and accurate visual demonstration and prediction of the HS remain highly challenging. Herein, a poly(ionic liquid) (PIL)-based photonic array containing 6 inverse opal microspheres was rationally constructed to efficiently sense and report the ion effects of the HS. The PILs can not only directly conjugate with HS ions due to their ion-exchange properties, but also provide sufficient noncovalent binding diversity with these ions. Meanwhile, subtle PIL-ion interactions can be sensitively amplified to optical signals owing to their photonic structures. Therefore, synergistic integration of PILs and photonic structures gives rise to accurate visualization of the ion effect of the HS, as demonstrated by correctly ranking 7 common anions. More importantly, assisted by principal component analysis (PCA), the developed PIL photonic array can serve as a general platform to facilely, accurately, and robustly predict the HS positions of an unprecedented amount of important and useful anions and cations. These findings indicate that the PIL photonic platform is very promising for addressing challenges in the visual demonstration and prediction of HS and promoting a molecular-level understanding of the Hoffmeister effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenyun Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Wanlin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Guokang He
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Weigang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Anisotropic droplets with uniform internal structure prepared in batch-scale by combination of vortex mixing and phase separation. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
3
|
Racles C, Bele A, Vasiliu AL, Sacarescu L. Emulsion Gels as Precursors for Porous Silicones and All-Polymer Composites-A Proof of Concept Based on Siloxane Stabilizers. Gels 2022; 8:gels8060377. [PMID: 35735721 PMCID: PMC9222695 DOI: 10.3390/gels8060377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of its versatility, the emulsion templating method is rather uncommon for the preparation of porous silicones. In this contribution, two siloxane-containing stabilizers, designed to be soluble in polar (water) and non-polar (toluene) solvents, respectively, were used in low concentrations to produce stable emulsions, wherein polysiloxane gels were obtained by UV-photoinitiated thiol-ene click cross-linking. The stabilizers exhibited negative interfacial tension, as measured by Wilhelmy plate tensiometry. The emulsion gels evolved into porous silicones (xerogels), with tunable morphology and properties. According to TEM and SEM investigations, the emulsion template was preserved in the final materials. Several parameters (e.g., the structure of the polysiloxane precursors, composition of the emulsion gels, nature of the continuous phase, cross-linking conditions, or additives) can be varied in order to obtain porous elastic materials with desired properties, such as Janus membranes, absorbent monoliths, all-polymer porous composites, or silicone-swollen gels. The feasibility of these types of materials was tested, and exemplary porous silicones were briefly characterized by contact angle measurements, mechanical testing, and absorption tests. The proposed method is simple, fast, and economic, uses very little amounts of stabilizers, and can be adjusted as a green technique. In this contribution, all the silicon-based materials with a convenient design were prepared in house.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Racles
- Department of Inorganic Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Gr. Ghica Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (A.B.); (L.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-232-217454; Fax: +40-232-211299
| | - Adrian Bele
- Department of Inorganic Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Gr. Ghica Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (A.B.); (L.S.)
| | - Ana-Lavinia Vasiliu
- Mihai Dima Laboratory of Functional Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Gr. Ghica Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Liviu Sacarescu
- Department of Inorganic Polymers, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Gr. Ghica Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania; (A.B.); (L.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lian X, Song C, Wang Y. Regulating the Oil-Water Interface to Construct Double Emulsions: Current Understanding and Their Biomedical Applications. Chem Res Chin Univ 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40242-022-2019-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
5
|
Feng K, Gao N, Li W, Dong H, Sun F, He G, Zhou K, Zhao H, Li G. Arrested Coalescence of Ionic Liquid Droplets: A Facile Strategy for Spatially Organized Multicompartment Assemblies. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2104385. [PMID: 34643335 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Multicompartment assemblies attract much attention for their wide applications. However, the fabrication of multicompartment assemblies usually requires elaborately designed building blocks and careful controlling. The emergence of droplet networks has provided a facile way to construct multiple droplet architectures, which can further be converted to multicompartment assemblies. Herein, the bind motif-free building blocks are presented, which consist of the hydrophobic Tf2 N- -based ionic liquid (IL) dissolving LiTf2 N salt, that can conjugate via arrested coalescence in confined-space templates to form IL droplet networks. Subsequent ultraviolent polymerization generates robust free-standing multicompartment assemblies. The conjugation of building blocks relies not on the peripheral bind motif but on the interfacial instability-induced arrested coalescence, avoiding tedious surface modification and assembly process. By tuning structures of templates and building blocks, multicompartment assemblies with 0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D structures are prepared in a facile and high-throughput way. Importantly, the bottom-up construction enables modular control over the compositions and spatial positions of individual building blocks. Combining with the excellent solvency of ILs, this system can serve as a general platform towards versatile multicompartment architectures. As demonstrations, by tailoring the chambers the multicompartment assemblies can spatiotemporally sense and report the chemical cues and perform various modes of motion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wenyun Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Fuwei Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guokang He
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gao N, Zhou K, Feng K, Zhang W, Cui J, Wang P, Tian L, Jenkinson-Finch M, Li G. Facile fabrication of self-reporting micellar and vesicular structures based on an etching-ion exchange strategy of photonic composite spheres of poly(ionic liquid). NANOSCALE 2021; 13:1927-1937. [PMID: 33439197 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr07268k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Micellar and vesicular structures capable of sensing and reporting the chemical environment as well as facilely introducing user-defined functions make a vital contribution to constructing versatile compartmentalized systems. Herein, by combining poly(ionic liquid)-based photonic spheres and an etching-ion exchange strategy we fabricate micellar and vesicular photonic compartments that can not only mimic the structure and function of conventional micelles and vesicles, but also sense and report the chemical environment as well as introducing user-defined functions. Photonic composite spheres composed of a SiO2 template and poly(ionic liquid) are employed to selectively etch outer-shell SiO2 followed by ion exchange and removal of the residual SiO2 to afford micellar photonic compartments (MPCs). The MPCs can selectively absorb solvents from the oil/water mixtures together with sensing and reporting the adsorbed solvents by the self-reporting optical signal associated with the uniform porous structure of photonic spheres. Vesicular photonic compartments (VPCs) are fabricated via selective infiltration and polymerization of ionic liquids followed by etching of the SiO2 template. Subsequent ion exchange introduces desirable functions to the VPCs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the thickness and the anisotropic functions of VPCs can be facilely modulated. Overall, we anticipate that the micellar and vesicular photonic compartments with self-reporting optical signals and user-defined functions could serve as novel platforms towards multifunctional compartmentalized systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering, the Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang T, Ngai T. One-Step Formation of Double Emulsions Stabilized by PNIPAM-based Microgels: The Role of Co-monomer. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:1045-1053. [PMID: 33426887 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microgels have been widely used as particulate emulsifiers to stabilize emulsions due to their multiresponsiveness and deformability. Generally, microgels stabilize oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions, whereas occasionally water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions are reported using oils like n-octanol in which microgels can swell. However, the use of microgels to stabilize double emulsions (DEs) remains scarce. In this work, we report a special poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)- (PNIPAM-) based microgel to obtain water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) DEs in one step with the introduction of 1-vinylimidazole (VIM) as comonomer and hydroxy silicone oil as the oily phase. By comparison, when methacrylic acid (MAA) is used, an o/w emulsion will be obtained. The same holds true even when we freeze-dry and redisperse the microgels in the oil. Compared with PNIPAM-co-MAA microgel, PNIPAM-co-VIM microgel achieves a lower interfacial tension (IFT) when dispersed in the aqueous phase. This interfacial affinity of PNIPAM-co-VIM is believed to result from acid-base interaction between VIM and hydroxyl groups of the silicone oil, the same interaction used for preparing silica-vinyl polymer composite particles. Increasing the particle concentrations from 0.05% to 0.9% (w/v), we observe the inversion from w/o to o/w/o and w/o/w emulsions. When the oil fraction is changed from 0.1 to 0.9, the emulsion morphology evolves from o/w and w/o/w to w/o emulsions. At last, we examine the emulsifying ability of PNIPAM-co-VIM microgel with other oils and find that w/o/w emulsions are obtained with edible oils as well. Considering the similarity between microgels and biopolymers, the discovery in this work will help in designing food-grade emulsifiers to form edible DEs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
The formation of spontaneous double emulsions is a peculiar phenomenon in emulsion systems. When compared to the traditional one-step and two-step methods for preparing double emulsions, spontaneous emulsification can not only steadily load uniform water droplets into an oil phase, but can also facilitate the preparation of emulsions with higher stability. However, the limited solubility of salts, which are typically used to modify osmotic pressure, in organic oils has inhibited the viability of this method for the preparation of W/O/W double emulsions. In this paper, a redox-driven spontaneous emulsification method is developed and investigated. Instead of employing oil-soluble salts, an oxidation reaction is implemented in the oil phase, which produces cation radicals and iodide counterions to generate osmotic pressure. Additionally, amphiphilic polymer chains are harnessed as stabilizers for the newly formed W/O interfaces. Various characterization methods have been used to elucidate the mechanism of both the oxidation reaction and the spontaneous formation of double emulsions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruiting Li
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Xinglei Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Jichen Jia
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Xiaodong Lian
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Yapei Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Feng K, Gao N, Zhang W, Zhou K, Dong H, Wang P, Tian L, He G, Li G. Creation of Nonspherical Microparticles through Osmosis-Driven Arrested Coalescence of Microfluidic Emulsions. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903884. [PMID: 31512376 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Droplet-based microfluidics enable the production of emulsions and microparticles with spherical shapes, but the high-throughput fabrication of nonspherical emulsions and microparticles still remains challenging because interfacial tension plays a dominant role during preparation. Herein, ionic liquids (ILs) containing salts, which possess sufficient osmotic pressure to realize water transport and phase separation, are introduced as inner cores of oil-in-oil-in-water double emulsions and it is shown that nonspherical emulsions can be constructed by osmosis-driven arrested coalescence of inner cores. Subsequently, ultraviolet polymerization of the nonspherical emulsions leads to nonspherical microparticles. By tailoring the number, composition, and size of inner cores as well as coalescence time, a variety of nonspherical shapes such as dumbbell, rod, spindle, snowman, tumbler, three-pointed star, triangle, and scalene triangle are created. Importantly, benefitting from excellent solvency of ILs, this system can serve as a general platform to produce nonspherical microparticles made from different materials. Moreover, by controlling the osmotic pressure, programmed coalescence of inner cores in double emulsions is realizable, which indicates the potential to build microreactors. Thus, a simple and high-throughput strategy to create nonspherical microparticles with arrested coalescence shapes is developed for the first time and can be further used to construct novel materials and microreactors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ning Gao
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wanlin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guokang He
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Guangtao Li
- Department of Chemistry, Key Lab of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| |
Collapse
|