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Vialetto J, Ramakrishna SN, Stock S, von Klitzing R, Isa L. Modulating the conformation of microgels by complexation with inorganic nanoparticles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 672:797-804. [PMID: 38870770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.05.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The complexation of microgels with rigid nanoparticles is an effective way to impart novel properties and functions to the resulting hybrid particles for applications such as in optics, catalysis, or for the stabilization of foams/emulsions. The nanoparticles affect the conformation of the polymer network, both in bulk aqueous environments and when the microgels are adsorbed at a fluid interface, in a non-trivial manner by modulating the microgel size, stiffness and apparent contact angle. EXPERIMENTS Here, we provide a detailed investigation, using light scattering, in-situ atomic force microscopy and nano-indentation experiments, of the interaction between poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels and hydrophobized silica nanoparticles after mixing in aqueous suspension to shed light on the network reorganization upon nanoparticle incorporation. FINDINGS The addition of nanoparticles decreases the microgels' bulk swelling and thermal response. When adsorbed at an oil-water interface, a higher ratio of nanoparticles influences the microgel's stiffness as well as their hydrophobic/hydrophilic character by increasing their effective contact angle, consequently modulating the monolayer response upon interfacial compression. Overall, these results provide fundamental understanding on the complex conformation of hybrid microgels in different environments and give inspiration to design new materials where the combination of a soft polymer network and nanoparticles might result in additional functionalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Vialetto
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy; Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Consorzio interuniversitario per lo sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (CSGI), via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
| | - Shivaprakash N Ramakrishna
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Stock
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Regine von Klitzing
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lucio Isa
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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Yan F, Hu L, Ji Z, Lyu Y, Chen S, Xu L, Hao J. Highly Interfacial Active Gemini Surfactants as Simple and Versatile Emulsifiers for Stabilizing, Lubricating and Structuring Liquids. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318926. [PMID: 38381597 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
To date, locking the shape of liquids into non-equilibrium states usually relies on jamming nanoparticle surfactants at an oil/water interface. Here we show that a synthetic water-soluble zwitterionic Gemini surfactant can serve as an alternative to nanoparticle surfactants for stabilizing, structuring and additionally lubricating liquids. By having a high binding energy comparable to amphiphilic nanoparticles at the paraffin oil/water interface, the surfactant can attain near-zero interfacial tensions and ultrahigh surface coverages after spontaneous adsorption. Owing to the strong association between neighboring surfactant molecules, closely packed monolayers with high mechanical elasticity can be generated at the oil/water interface, thus allowing the surfactant to produce not only ultra-stable emulsions but also structured liquids with various geometries by using extrusion printing and 3D printing techniques. By undergoing tribochemical reactions at its sulfonic terminus, the surfactant can endow the resultant emulsions with favorable lubricity even under high load-bearing conditions. Our study may provide new insights into creating complex liquid devices and new-generation lubricants capable of combining the characteristics of both liquid and solid lubricants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuli Yan
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
| | - Lulin Hu
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zhongying Ji
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yang Lyu
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Lu Xu
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jingcheng Hao
- Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai, 264006, China
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Special Aggregated Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, China
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Gaur D, Dubey NC, Tripathi BP. Designing Configurable Soft Microgelsomes as a Smart Biomimetic Protocell. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:1108-1118. [PMID: 38236272 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c01127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembly is an intriguing aspect of primitive cells. The construction of a semipermeable compartment with a robust framework of soft material capable of housing an array of functional components for chemical changes is essential for the fabrication of synthetic protocells. Microgels, loosely cross-linked polymer networks, are suitable building blocks for protocell capsule generation due to their porous structure, tunable properties, and assembly at the emulsion interface. Here, we present an interfacial assembly of microgel-based microcompartments (microgelsomes, MGC) that are defined by a semipermeable, temperature-responsive elastic membrane formed by densely packed microgels in a monolayer. The water-dispersible microgelsomes can thermally shuttle between 10 and 95 °C while retaining their structural integrity. Importantly, the microgelsomes exhibited distinct properties of protocells, such as cargo encapsulation, semipermeable membrane, DNA amplification, and membrane-gated compartmentalized enzymatic cascade reaction. This versatile approach for the construction of biomimetic microcompartments augments the protocell library and paves the way for programmable synthetic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Gaur
- Functional Materials & Membranes Laboratory, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Nidhi C Dubey
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - Bijay P Tripathi
- Functional Materials & Membranes Laboratory, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India
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Jiang H, Fang E, Qi L, Guan X, Li Y, Liu W, Ngai T. Dual-responsive colloidosome-like microgels as the building blocks for phase inversion of Pickering emulsions. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:8240-8246. [PMID: 37869938 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01171b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The intelligent regulation of microgel-stabilized Pickering emulsions with multi-responsiveness is presently constrained to the processes of emulsification and destabilization. However, the expansion of multi-control over Pickering emulsions to involve phase inversion and the investigation of the accompanying processes and mechanisms present a great challenge. In this study, a microgel with dual responsiveness to both pH and temperature was synthesized using an emulsion template. The resulting microgel exhibited a robust colloidosome-like structure, distinguished by the presence of monolayer-adsorbed silica nanoparticles. The regulation of the packing of surface-covered silica nanoparticles was easily achieved through the swelling of the microgel matrix. Furthermore, the wettability of the microgel can be adjusted between hydrophilic and hydrophobic intervals, allowing for the effective and dual-responsive phase inversion of Pickering emulsions. Moreover, it has been observed that colloidosome-like microgels can lead to unique interfacial structures during the emulsification process, thereby elucidating the fundamental mechanism governing emulsion phase inversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, P. R. China.
| | - En Fang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, P. R. China.
| | - Lin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, P. R. China.
| | - Xin Guan
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong.
| | - Yunxing Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, P. R. China.
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education & School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, P. R. China.
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong.
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Guan X, Li Y, Jiang H, Tse YLS, Ngai T. Temperature-Responsive Pickering Double Emulsions Stabilized by Binary Microgels. Chem Asian J 2023; 18:e202300587. [PMID: 37658708 DOI: 10.1002/asia.202300587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Microgels are excellent emulsifiers that can self-assemble to reduce interfacial tension and form a steric barrier at an oil-water interface. Herein, we report a two-step emulsification approach to prepare oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) Pickering double emulsions through the dispersion of microgels in two immiscible phases. The stabilization mechanism depends on the uneven distribution and adsorption of hydrophilic water-swollen microgels and hydrophobic octanol-swollen microgels on either outer water droplets or inner oil droplets. Our results reveal that binary microgels outperformed single microgels in terms of interfacial tension reduction and emulsion stabilization. Notably, the binary microgel-stabilized Pickering double emulsions show excellent temperature responsiveness owing to the intrinsic thermal sensitivity of microgels. Consequently, the selective and rapid release of encapsulated substances in different phases can be achieved through the adjustment of the ambient temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Guan
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Yunxing Li
- The Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Hang Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Lung Steve Tse
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, P. R. China
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Vialetto J, Camerin F, Ramakrishna SN, Zaccarelli E, Isa L. Exploring the 3D Conformation of Hard-Core Soft-Shell Particles Adsorbed at a Fluid Interface. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303404. [PMID: 37541434 PMCID: PMC10558683 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
The encapsulation of a rigid core within a soft polymeric shell allows obtaining composite colloidal particles that retain functional properties, e.g., optical or mechanical. At the same time, it favors their adsorption at fluid interfaces with a tunable interaction potential to realize tailored two-dimensional (2D) materials. Although they have already been employed for 2D assembly, the conformation of single particles, which is essential to define the monolayer properties, has been largely inferred via indirect or ex situ techniques. Here, by means of in situ atomic force microscopy experiments, the authors uncover the interfacial morphology of hard-core soft-shell microgels, integrating the data with numerical simulations to elucidate the role of the core properties, of the shell thicknesses, and that of the grafting density. They identify that the hard core can influence the conformation of the polymer shells. In particular, for the case of small shell thickness, low grafting density, or poor core affinity for water, the core protrudes more into the organic phase, and the authors observe a decrease in-plane stretching of the network at the interface. By rationalizing their general wetting behavior, such composite particles can be designed to exhibit specific inter-particle interactions of importance both for the stabilization of interfaces and for the fabrication of 2D materials with tailored functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Vialetto
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and InterfacesDepartment of MaterialsETH ZürichVladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 5Zürich8093Switzerland
- Present address:
Department of Chemistry & CSGIUniversity of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3Sesto FiorentinoFirenzeI‐50019Italy
| | - Fabrizio Camerin
- CNR Institute for Complex SystemsUos SapienzaP.le A. Moro 2Roma00185Italy
- Department of PhysicsSapienza University of RomeP.le A. Moro 2Roma00185Italy
- Soft Condensed Matter & BiophysicsDebye Institute for Nanomaterials ScienceUtrecht UniversityPrincetonplein 1CC Utrecht3584The Netherlands
| | - Shivaprakash N. Ramakrishna
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and InterfacesDepartment of MaterialsETH ZürichVladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 5Zürich8093Switzerland
| | - Emanuela Zaccarelli
- CNR Institute for Complex SystemsUos SapienzaP.le A. Moro 2Roma00185Italy
- Department of PhysicsSapienza University of RomeP.le A. Moro 2Roma00185Italy
| | - Lucio Isa
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and InterfacesDepartment of MaterialsETH ZürichVladimir‐Prelog‐Weg 5Zürich8093Switzerland
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Toor R, Neujahr Copstein A, Trébuchet C, Goudeau B, Garrigue P, Lapeyre V, Perro A, Ravaine V. Responsive microgels-based colloidosomes constructed from all-aqueous pH-switchable coacervate droplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 630:66-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Liu L, Ngai T. Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Binary Mixtures of Colloidal Particles: Synergies between Contrasting Properties. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:13322-13329. [PMID: 36300320 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pickering emulsions that are stabilized by colloidal particles have attracted substantial research attention because of their potential applications in various industries. Previously, single colloidal particles have usually been used to fabricate Pickering emulsions and to investigate the stabilization mechanism. However, surface modification of the colloidal stabilizer is normally required to adjust the particle wettability, which often involves chemical modification, the adsorption of a surfactant or polymer, and the addition of an electrolyte. Such a modification is expensive, time-consuming, and thus only partially effective. In this Perspective, we describe an alternative approach that uses binary mixtures of particles as stabilizers and could be an effective solution to the above-described problems with Pickering emulsions. We introduce various types of Pickering emulsions stabilized by binary mixtures of particles with different functional groups, opposite charges, or opposite wettabilities (i.e., they are hydrophilic or hydrophobic). Examples of stabilizing mechanisms are discussed, showing that compared with emulsions stabilized by single colloidal particles, emulsions stabilized by binary mixtures of particles are generated via simpler particle-pretreatment processes and have higher stability and customizable properties and thus can enable the exploration of the next generation of Pickering emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangdong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China 00852
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China 00852
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Guan X, Wei J, Xia Y, Ngai T. Raspberry-Shaped Microgels Assembled at the Oil-Water Interface by Heterocoagulation of Complementary Microgels. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:1014-1021. [PMID: 35900927 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Raspberry-shaped particles have attracted increasing interest due to their tunable surface morphologies and physicochemical properties. A variety of covalent and noncovalent strategies have been developed for the fabrication of raspberry-shaped particles. However, most of these strategies are complex or require precise control of solution conditions. In this work, we develop a direct approach for the fabrication of noncovalent raspberry-shaped microgels. Our strategy works through the electrostatically driven heterocoagulation of binary microgels with complementary functional groups at the oil-water interface. By introducing hexanoic acid (HA) into the oil phase, stable inverse water-in-oil (w/o) Pickering emulsions could be stabilized solely by HA-swollen microgels or self-assembled raspberry-shaped microgels. Furthermore, the formation mechanism and the interfacial properties of interfaces laden with raspberry-shaped microgels were investigated. The results indicate that HA can effectively improve the hydrophobicity and interfacial activity of microgels. In addition, raspberry-shaped microgels achieve high coverage on the droplet surface, resulting in the elastic interface and excellent stability of emulsions. We envision that these results will not only fill a knowledge gap in the field of soft matter interfacial self-assembly, but also will shed light on the rational design of raspberry-shaped soft colloids and the on-demand control of interfacial rheology. In addition, we expect that our results will contribute to wider applications of microgel-stabilized emulsions, including cascade catalysis, microreactor, and in vivo drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Guan
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jingjing Wei
- Department of Fine Chemical Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong China
| | - Yufei Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N. T., Hong Kong 999077, China
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