The Assembly and Jamming of Nanoparticle Surfactants at Liquid–Liquid Interfaces

Journal Article · Wed Jan 19 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202114936· OSTI ID:1841787

Wang, Beibei ^[1]; Yin, Bangqi ^[1]; Zhang, Zhao ^[1]; Yin, Yixuan ^[1]; Yang, Yang ^[1]; Wang, Haiqiao ^[2]; Russell, Thomas P. ^[3]; Shi, Shaowei  ^[4]

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1. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering College of Materials Science and Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
2. Beijing Engineering Research Center for the Synthesis and Applications of Waterborne Polymers Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China
3. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts 01003 USA, Materials Sciences Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley California 94720 USA
4. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering College of Materials Science and Engineering Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China, Beijing Engineering Research Center for the Synthesis and Applications of Waterborne Polymers Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029 China

Abstract Using the interactions between nanoparticles (NPs) and polymeric ligands to generate nanoparticle surfactants (NPSs) at the liquid–liquid interface, the binding energy of the NP to the interface can be significantly increased, irreversibly binding the NPSs to the interface. By designing a simplified NPS model, where the NP size can be precisely controlled and the characteristic fluorescence of the NPs be used as a direct probe of their spatial distribution, we provide new insights into the attachment mechanism of NPSs at the liquid–liquid interface. We find that the binding energy of NPSs to the interface can be reduced by competitive ligands, resulting in the dissociation and disassembly of NPSs at the interface, and allowing the construction of responsive, reconfigurable all‐liquid systems. Smaller NPSs that are loosely packed (unjammed) and irreversibly bound to the interface can be displaced by larger NPSs, giving rise to a size‐dependent assembly of NPSs at the interface. However, when the smaller size NPSs are densely packed and jam at the interface, the size‐dependent assembly of NPSs at the interface can be completely suppressed.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-05-CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1841787
• Journal Information: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition), Journal Name: Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) Vol. 61 Journal Issue: 10; ISSN 1433-7851
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
• Country of Publication: Germany
• Language: English