Polymerizations in Pickering Emulsions as a Route to Hybrid Materials

Pickering emulsions, or those stabilized by solid particles, provide a distinct template for the production of composite structures which combine the properties of the particles, the droplets, and any additional components such as polymer.

This presentation will cover the use of Pickering emulsions stabilized by 2D particles (i.e., nanosheets) to prepare capsules with core of ionic liquid or phase change material. Here, modified graphene oxide nanosheets are used to stabilize non-aqueous emulsions and polymer deposition or interfacial polymerization is used to give the capsules integrity.

The presentation will also address the use of transition metal carbides and nitrides, an emerging class of solution processable 2D materials termed MXenes, as Pickering surfactants and the production of monolithic structures by tailored polymerization strategies. Application of these hybrids in gas sequestration, thermal energy storage, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding will be highlighted.

Speaker: Emily Pentzer, Texas A&M