Preparation of Pickering emulsions stabilized by metal organic frameworks using oscillatory woven metal micro-screen

Abstract

Uniform Pickering emulsions stabilized by metal organic frameworks (MOFs) MIL-101 and ZIF-8 nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully prepared using an oscillatory woven metal microscreen (WMMS) emulsification system in the presence and the absence of surfactants. The effects of operating and system parameters including the frequency and amplitude of oscillation, the type of nano-particle and/or surfactant on the droplet size and coefficient of variance of the prepared emulsions are investigated. The results showed that both the hydrodynamics of the system and the hydrophobic/hydrophilic nature of the NP influenced the interfacial properties of the oil–water interface during droplet formation and after detachment, which in turn affected the final droplet size and distribution. Comparison between the measured and predicted droplet size using a simple torque balance (TB) model is discussed.