Electrostatic Heteroaggregation: Fundamentals and Applications in Interfacial Engineering

The aggregation of oppositely charged soft materials (particles, surfactants, polyelectrolytes, etc.) that differ in one or more physical or chemical attributes, broadly referred to as electrostatic heteroaggregation, has been an active area of research for several decades now. While electrostatic heteroaggregation (EHA) is relevant to diverse fields such as environmental engineering, food technology, and pharmaceutical formulations, more recently there has been a resurgence to explore various aspects of this phenomenon in the context of interface stabilization and the development of functional materials. In this Feature Article, we provide an overview of the recent contributions of our group to this exciting field with particular emphasis on fundamental studies of electrostatic heteroaggregation between oppositely charged systems in the bulk, at interfaces, and across the bulk/interface. The influence of the size and shape of particles and the surface charge of heteroaggregates on the formation of Pickering emulsions and their utilization in the development of porous ceramics is discussed.

Automated summary

Electrostatic heteroaggregation, the aggregation of oppositely charged soft materials, has been widely researched in fields such as environmental engineering, food technology, and pharmaceutical formulations. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in exploring this phenomenon for interface stabilization and the development of functional materials. This article provides an overview of recent contributions in the field, focusing on fundamental studies of electrostatic heteroaggregation and its influence on the formation of Pickering emulsions and the development of porous ceramics.