How clay colloids surround internally self-assembled phytantriol drops.

Abstract

The stabilisation of emulsified microemulsions using different concentrations of colloidal disk-like particles (Laponite) is investigated. The resulting structures are characterised by cryo-TEM, small-angle and very small-angle neutron scattering methods. We show that the Laponite colloids are effectively attached onto the droplet interfaces, creating a protective layer around them, dense enough to be statistically observed by means of neutron scattering, although the mean coverage remains still rather low. The mean size of the internally organised droplets does not change with the colloidal concentration (up to 1 wt%), and a few free colloids are found in the continuous water solvent. However, the colloids are shown to be able to deform the soft interfaces of the microemulsion phase to create droplets that are not always spherical, but can have angled interfaces.