Inverse Pickering Emulsions with Droplet Sizes below 500 nm

Inverse Pickering emulsions with droplet diameters between 180 and 450 nm, a narrow droplet size distribution, and an outstanding stability were prepared using a miniemulsion technique. Commercially available hydrophilic silica nanoparticles were used to stabilize the emulsions. They were hydrophobized in situ by the adsorption of various neutral polymeric surfactants. The influence of different parameters, such as kind and amount of surfactant as hydrophobizing agent, size and charge of the silica particles, and amount of water in the dispersed phase, as well as the kind of osmotic agent (sodium chloride and phosphate-buffered saline), on the emulsion characteristics was investigated. The systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, and semiquantitative attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. Cryo-SEM shows that some silica particles are obviously rendered hydrophilic and form a three-dimensional network inside the droplets

Synthesis and Characterization of Dually Labeled Pickering-Type Stabilized Polymer Nanoparticles in a Downscaled Miniemulsion System

Dual fluorescently labeled polymer particles were prepared in a downscaled Pickering-type miniemulsion system. Stable dispersions were obtained and the size of the hybrid particles could be varied between ca. 180 and 430 nm. Silica nanoparticles were employed as sole emulsifier, which were labeled by a fluorescein dye (FITC) or (encapsulated) quantum dots, and the polymer core was labeled by a perylene derivative. Downscaling of the Pickering-type miniemulsion system is intriguing by itself as it allows the use of precious nanoparticles as emulsifiers. Here, silica particles with a fluorescent core and an overall diameter between 20 and 40 nm were prepared and employed as stabilizer. The dual excitation and emission of both dyes was tested by fluorescence measurements and confocal laser scanning microscopy (cLSM)