Issue 20, 2023

Interfacial stabilization of aqueous two-phase systems: a review

Abstract

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) are useful in various applications, from purification and separation of biomolecules to wastewater treatment. While they have great utility on their own, there is great interest in discovering how their emulsions, comprising droplets of one aqueous phase dispersed in the other aqueous phase, might be stabilized to enhance their functionality and applications. There are several examples of these systems, but the two most common systems found in the literature are PEG–dextran and complex coacervate ATPS. In this Review, we discuss these systems, their utility, and many different approaches for stabilizing their water/water (w/w) emulsions. We highlight examples wherein interfacial stabilizers such as liposomes, polymers of diverse architectures, colloids of varied shapes and morphologies, and even whole cells have been employed. These stabilization approaches for both PEG–dextran and complex coacervate ATPS are discussed. We conclude with a discussion of the applications of these ATPS and how they can benefit from the creation of corresponding w/w emulsions with stabilized droplets.

Graphical abstract: Interfacial stabilization of aqueous two-phase systems: a review

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
15 Jun 2023
Accepted
02 Sep 2023
First published
11 Sep 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Mater. Adv., 2023,4, 4665-4678

Interfacial stabilization of aqueous two-phase systems: a review

C. Fick, Z. Khan and S. Srivastava, Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 4665 DOI: 10.1039/D3MA00307H

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