Journal
LANGMUIR
Volume 33, Issue 12, Pages 3040-3046Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b04546
Keywords
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Funding
- Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [21333005]
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Dynamic covalent surfactants were designed to prepare pH switchable emulsions. A dynamic covalent bond between nonamphiphilic building blocks (polyethylenimine (PEI) and benzaldehyde (B)) was introduced to form the dynamic covalent surfactant PEI-B. The dynamic nature of covalent bond in PEI-B was confirmed by H-1 NMR and fluorescence probe analysis. Stable emulsions were successfully prepared with interfacial active PEI-B at pH 7.8 with various water/paraffin oil ratios under sonication. When lowering the pH to 3.5, a complete phase separation was observed as a result of breaking dynamic covalent bond in the interfacial active PEI-B. After tuning the pH back to 7.8, stable emulsion was obtained again due to the reformation of the dynamic covalent bond and hence interfacial active PEI-B. The emulsification and demulsification were dependent on the formation and breaking of dynamic covalent bond in PEI-B. Such pH-triggered emulsification and demulsification can be switched at least three times. Application of dynamic covalent surfactants will open up a novel route for preparing responsive emulsions.
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