title: Foams stabilized by multilamellar polyglycerol ester self-assemblies.
abstract: The importance of surfactant self-assemblies in foam stabilization is well-known. The aim of the current study was to investigate the self-assemblies of the nonionic surfactant polyglycerol ester (PGE) in bulk solutions, at the interface and within foams, using a combined approach of small-angle neutron scattering, neutron reflectivity, and electron microscopy. PGE bulk solutions contain vesicles as well as open lamellar structures. Upon heating of the solutions the lamellar spacing increases, with significant differences in the presence of NaCl or CaCl(2) as compared to the standard solution. The adsorption of the multilamellar structures present in the bulk solutions lead to a multilayered film at the air-water interface. The ordering within this film was increased as a result of a 20% area compression mimicking a coalescence event. Finally, PGE foams were shown to be stabilized not only by strong interfacial films but also by agglomerated self-assemblies within the interstitial areas of the foams.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Process Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. corina.curschellas@alumni.ethz.ch
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curschellas
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohlbrecher
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geue
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouvet
authors.forename: Erich J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Windhab
authors.forename: Hans Jörg
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Limbach