Abstract
Nanocellulose is very hydrophilic, preventing interactions with the oil phase in Pickering emulsions. This limitation is herein addressed by incorporating lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) as co-stabilizers of nanocellulose-based Pickering emulsions. LNP addition decreases the oil droplet size and slows creaming at pH 5 and 8 and with increasing LNP content. Emulsification at pH 3 and LNP cationization lead to droplet flocculation and rapid creaming. LNP application for emulsification, prior or simultaneously with nanocellulose, favors stability given the improved interactions with the oil phase. The Pickering emulsions can be freeze–dried, enabling the recovery of a solid macroporous foam that can act as adsorbent for pharmaceutical pollutants. Overall, the properties of nanocellulose-based Pickering emulsions and foams can be tailored by LNP addition. This strategy offers a unique, green approach to stabilize biphasic systems using bio-based nanomaterials without tedious and costly modification procedures.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 8955-8971 |
| Journal | Cellulose |
| Volume | 30 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
This work was mainly funded by the Academy of Finland’s Postdoctoral Researcher´s Grant (330617) to M. Agustin. The contribution of M. Bhattarai and O.J. Rojas received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC Advanced grant No. 788489, “BioElCell”).
Keywords
- Adsorption
- Foams
- Lignin nanoparticles
- Nanocellulose
- Pharmaceutical pollutants
- Pickering emulsions