Heteroaggregation effects on Pickering stabilization using oppositely charged cellulose nanocrystal and nanochitin

Shasha Guo; Ya Zhu; Wenyang Xu; Siqi Huan; Jun Li; Tao Song; Long Bai; Orlando J Rojas

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120154

Heteroaggregation effects on Pickering stabilization using oppositely charged cellulose nanocrystal and nanochitin

Carbohydr Polym. 2023 Jan 1:299:120154. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120154. Epub 2022 Sep 27.

Authors

Shasha Guo¹, Ya Zhu², Wenyang Xu³, Siqi Huan⁴, Jun Li⁵, Tao Song⁵, Long Bai⁶, Orlando J Rojas⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland.
² Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland.
³ Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland; Johan Gadolin Process Chemistry Centre, Laboratory of Natural Materials Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku FI-20500, Finland.
⁴ Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
⁶ Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, PR China. Electronic address: long.bai@nefu.edu.cn.
⁷ Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Wood Science, 2360 East Mall, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, FIN-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland. Electronic address: orlando.rojas@aalto.fi.

PMID: 36880908
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120154

Abstract

Pickering emulsions are stabilized using complexes of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and nanochitin (NCh). The colloidal behavior and heteroaggregation in aqueous media are studied in relation to complex formation and net charge. The complexes are remarkably effective in stabilizing oil-in-water Pickering emulsions under conditions of slightly net positive or negative charges, as determined by the CNC/NCh mass ratio. Close to charge neutrality (CNC/NCh ~5), large heteroaggregates form, resulting in unstable emulsions. By contrast, under net cationic conditions, interfacial arrest of the complexes leads to non-deformable emulsion droplets with high stability (no creaming for 9 months). At given CNC/NCh concentrations, emulsions with up to 50% oil fraction are produced. This study shows how to control emulsion properties beyond consideration of the typical formulation variables, for instance, through adjusting CNC/NCh ratio or charge stoichiometry. We highlight the possibilities that are available for emulsion stabilization by using a combination of polysaccharide nanoparticles.

Keywords: Cellulose nanocrystals; Heteroaggregation; Nanochitin; Pickering emulsions.