Pickering emulsions stabilized by amphiphilic nano-sheets

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of amphiphilic nano-sheets, which are either surface- or edge-modified plates with thickness at the atomic scale, one of the thinnest amphiphilic particles reported so far. They are obtained by exfoliation of functionalized layered crystals, the first time that laminar structures have been utilized to produce such particles. Stable emulsions were made utilizing these nano-sheets. The adsorption of the amphiphilic nano-sheets onto the oil-in-water interfaces and the reduction of surface tension between the PDMS and the amphiphilic nano-sheet suspensions were quantitatively characterized.