Samenvatting
The stabilization of fluorous oil droplets in aqueous environment is a critical issue in the preparation of emulsified systems for biomedical applications and in emulsion polymerization technology, due to the extreme immiscibility of aqueous and fluorous phases. We present here a detailed study on the behavior of the hydrophobin HFBI, i.e. a small natural protein endowed with exceptional surface activity, at the interface between aqueous and fluorous phases. HFBI behaves as an efficient and sustainable surfactant at remarkably low concentrations and forms a strong and elastic film at the interface between the two phases. We also show proof-of-concept experiments on the use of HFBI as a surfactant in fluorous oil/water emulsified systems and in microfluidic circuits.
Originele taal-2 | Engels |
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Pagina's (van-tot) | 6505-6514 |
Aantal pagina's | 10 |
Tijdschrift | Soft Matter |
Volume | 9 |
DOI's | |
Status | Gepubliceerd - 2013 |