ABSTRACT
Multilayered films starting with silica or polymer particles in the micron-size range have been prepared using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The polymer particles made of highly cross-linked cores and hydrophilic shells were elaborated through a precipitation polymerization method that allows formation of particles with a low polydispersity. The influence of the surface function, the differences between organic and inorganic systems, and the characterization of these materials by means of reflectance infrared spectroscopy are also discussed.
Subject(s)
Membranes, Artificial , Methacrylates/chemistry , Silicon Dioxide/chemistry , Styrenes/chemistry , Colloids , Glass/chemistry , Particle Size , Spectrophotometry, Infrared/methods , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
We study oil-in-water emulsions stabilised by pH-sensitive colloidal silica or latex particles. Depending on the composition of the continuous phase, the same type of particles and the same emulsification process lead to emulsions characterised either by large drops densely covered by the particles, or to small droplets which are weakly covered. The two kinetically stable states can be tuned reversibly by using pH or salinity as compositional stimuli. We examine the emulsions' behaviour in these two limiting cases and we discuss the possible mechanisms allowing stabilisation, especially in the case of low surface coverage.
