Formation, stability and the application of Pickering emulsions stabilized with OSA starch/chitosan complexes

We demonstrated the formation, structure and stability of Pickering emulsions stabilized by octenyl succinic anhydride starch (OSA-S)/chitosan (CS) complexes and explored their potential as templates for porous mate-rials. Sufficient oil fraction (Phi > 50 %) was decisive for stable emulsions, whereas the complex concentration (c) significantly affected the gel network of emulsions. An increase in Phi or c led to tighter droplet arrangement and enhanced network, which improved the self-supporting characteristics and the stability of emulsions. The stacking of OSA-S/CS complexes at the oil-water interface influenced the emulsion properties, forming typical microstructure with small droplets embedded in interstices of large droplets, and bridging flocculation occurred. Porous materials prepared using emulsions (Phi > 75 %) as templates exhibited semi-open structures with pore size and network varying with different Phi or c. There was no structure collapse due to the interconnectivity of complexes. Our work provides comprehensive information on OSA-S/CS complex-stabilized Pickering emulsions.

Automated summary

We demonstrated the formation, structure, and stability of Pickering emulsions stabilized by OSA-S/CS complexes and explored their potential as templates for porous materials. The stability of the emulsions is influenced by the oil fraction and complex concentration. Porous materials prepared using these emulsions as templates exhibit varying pore sizes and networks.