1. Novel stabilization mechanisms for concentrated emulsions with tunable morphology via amphiphilic polymer-grafted nanoparticles
- Author
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Suzuki, Kojiro, Kobayashi, Yusei, Yamazaki, Takashi, Tsuji, Toshikazu, and Arai, Noriyoshi
- Subjects
Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter - Abstract
This study explores the stabilization mechanisms of concentrated emulsions with tunable morphology using amphiphilic polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs). We employ coarse-grained molecular simulations to investigate concentrated oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol)-grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) particles. Two grafting architectures were examined: hydrophilic-hydrophobic (AB-type) diblock PGNPs and reverse BA-type diblock PGNPs. Our findings reveal that AB-type diblock PGNPs tend to aggregate, leading to droplet-droplet coalescence. In contrast, BA-type diblock PGNPs disperse effectively in the water phase, stabilizing robust emulsion through a space-filling mechanism. The study further demonstrates that the stability and morphology of the emulsions can be tuned by varying the number of PGNPs. Our results suggest that BA-type diblock PGNPs are more effective in stabilizing concentrated emulsions, offering insights for the design of novel emulsifiers in industrial applications., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures
- Published
- 2024