The influence of particle adsorption on liquid/liquid interfacial tension is not well understood, and much previous research has suggested conflicting behaviors. In this paper we investigate the surface activity and adsorption kinetics of charge stabilised and pH-responsive polymer stabilised colloids at oil/water interfaces using two tensiometry techniques; i) pendant drop and ii) microtensiometer. We found, using both techniques, that charge stabilised particles had little or no influence on the (dynamic) interfacial tension; although, dense silica particles affected the 'apparent' measured tension in the pendent drop, due to gravity driven elongation of the droplet profile. Nevertheless, this apparent change additionally allowed the study of adsorption kinetics, which was related qualitatively between particle systems by estimated diffusion coefficients. Significant and real interfacial tension responses were measured using ~53 nm core-shell latex particles with a pH-responsive polymer stabilizer of poly(methylmethacrylate) -b- poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) (pMMA-b-pDMAEMA) diblock copolymer. At pH 2, where the polymer is strongly charged, behavior was similar to that of the bare charge-stabilised particles, showing little change in the interfacial tension. At pH 10, where the polymer is discharged and poorly soluble in water, a significant decrease in the measured interfacial tension commensurate with strong adsorption at the oil-water interface was seen, which was similar in magnitude to the surface activity of the free polymer. These results were both confirmed through droplet profile and microtensiometry experiments. Dilational elasticity measurements were also performed by oscillation of the droplet; again, changes in interfacial tension with droplet oscillation were only seen with the responsive particles at pH 10. Frequency sweeps were performed to ascertain the dilational elasticity modulus, with measured values being significantly higher than previously reported for nanoparticle and surfactant systems, and similar in magnitude to protein stabilized droplets.
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)