title: Single Fusion Events at Polarized Liquid-Liquid Interfaces.
abstract: A new electrochemical framework for tracking individual soft particles in solution and monitoring their fusion with polarized liquid-liquid interfaces is reported. The physicochemical principle lies in the interfacial transfer of an ionic probe confined in the particles dispersed in solution and that is released upon their collision and fusion with the fluid interface. As a proof-of-concept, spike-like transients of a stochastic nature are reported in the current-time response of 1,2-dichloroethane(DCE)|water(W) submilli-interfaces after injection of DCE-in-W emulsions. The sign and potential dependence of the spikes reflect the charge and lipophilicity of the ionic load of the droplets. A comparison with dynamic light scattering measurements indicates that each spike is associated with the collision of a single sub-picoliter droplet. This opens a new framework for the study of single fusion events at the micro- and nanoscale and of ion transport across biomimetic soft interfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laborda
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Vanesa Fernández
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Espín
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García de la Torre
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK.
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Compton
keywords: electrochemistry; impact experiments; microparticles; polarized liquid-liquid interfaces; single fusion events