Nanoparticle laden interfacial layers and application to foams and solid foams

An experimental study focused on the problem of tailoring of solid foams with controlled structural and chemical features produced by drying and/or sintering of liquid foams stabilized by nanosized materials is presented here.The aim of this study is a better understanding of the relation between the interfacial properties of mixed systems containing nanoparticles (NP) at different degree of hydrophobicity and surfactants and the stability/structure of the corresponding liquid and solid foams.The interfacial properties of the single particle laden interfacial layers were characterized by dynamic interfacial tension and interfacial rheology measurements as well as the stability of the corresponding particle stabilized foams. The solid foams obtained from these systems, according to specifically developed procedure, were then analyzed by SEM techniques as regards their morphology (size porosity, cell structure) and surface chemical composition.

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► Nanoparticles segregation affects equilibrium and rheological interfacial behavior.
► Formation of particle-laden interfaces allows the stabilization of wet foams.
► Wet foams can be used as precursors of porous solid materials.