Pickering emulsions are currently a ‘hot topic’ in the field because of their applications in cosmetics, foodstuffs, waste-water treatment and energy. Emulsification is regulated by two fundamental steps: coalescence and fragmentation. Emulsions can be stabilised by solid particles which impede coalescence.
This hot paper by the Striolo group from the University of Oklahoma, describes the coalescence of droplets stabilised by solid particles. The authors use dissipative particle dynamics simulations to study water (oil) droplets dispersed in oil (water) in the presence of various nanoparticles. The droplets are forced to coalesce and the process is observed at the molecular level. The results could be used to help design more stable Pickering emulsions.
Mechanistic study of droplets coalescence in Pickering emulsions
Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 9533. DOI: 10.1039/c2sm26416a (free to read for a short time)
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