title: Formation and stability of nanoparticle-stabilised oil-in-water emulsions in a microfluidic chip.
abstract: The formation and stability of drops in the presence of nanoparticles was studied in a microfluidic device to directly observe the early stages of Pickering emulsification (low interfacial coverage). We observed several key differences between oil droplet necking and rupture in aqueous phases of nanoparticles (methylated silica) and well-characterised surfactant systems. The presence of particles did not influence drop formation dynamics and thus the size of the drops generated. In addition, observations of in-channel drop stability shortly after formation (several milliseconds) indicated that particles in the aqueous phase slow film thinning processes, but do not prevent coalescence. In contrast, downstream collection and densification (at the microchannel outlet), showed that particle-stabilised drops do not coalesce for several weeks, above a critical particle concentration. The implications of our results for droplet microfluidics and our understanding of conventional emulsification systems are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Priest
authors.forename: Mathew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Catherine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Whitby
mesh_terms: D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D009821:Oils; D014867:Water; D012822:Silicon Dioxide