Self-assembled polyoxometalates nanoparticles as pickering emulsion stabilizers.
We easily produced a series of polyoxometalate (POM) nanoparticles by taking benefit from electrostatic attractions between various POMs and alkylammonium cations. These self-assembled supramolecular nanoparticles are fully characterized in terms of shape, nanostructure, and physicochemical properties. The nanoparticle differences are discussed on the basis of the chemical composition of the initial POM. Moreover, such particles have the ability to stabilize water-in-oil Pickering emulsions. Using a gel-trapping technique coupled to atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations, we determined their affinity toward oil by the contact angle of adsorbed nanoparticles. We show that the emulsion droplet size and stability can be directly linked to the nanoparticle hydrophobicity, which is tuned by the charge localization and molecular packing of POMs with the ammonium cations. Such particles are of special interest as they open large possibilities for Pickering interfacial catalysis.
†Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies, UCCS UMR CNRS 8181, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France.
Loïc
L
Leclercq
†Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies, UCCS UMR CNRS 8181, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France.
Adrien
A
Mouret
‡Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 8332, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, F-75005 Paris, France.
Séverine
S
Renaudineau
§Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, Université de Bordeaux, UPR CNRS 8641, 115 Avenue du Dr. Albert Schweitzer, F-33600 Pessac, France.
Véronique
V
Schmitt
‡Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR CNRS 8332, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, F-75005 Paris, France.
Anna
A
Proust
†Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies, UCCS UMR CNRS 8181, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France.
Véronique
V
Nardello-Rataj