Pickering interfacial catalysis provides an excellent platform for biphasic reactions, but the separation and recycling of nanocatalysts is a challenge because of high adsorption energy of nanocatalysts at the liquid-liquid interface. In this work, we represent a new type of versatile Pickering emulsion based on magnetic and CO2-responsive nanohybrids Fe3O4@SiO2@P(TMA-DEA). The smart nanoparticles can stabilize the water-in-oil Pickering emulsion in the biphasic system and achieve the subsequent demulsification by bubbling CO2 ascribed to their reversible switching surface. In the absence of energy barrier, the nanohybrids can be easily captured in situ by magnetic field in 2 min and showed excellent recyclability. In the Anelli system for alcohol oxidation, the nanocatalyst exhibited threefold enhancement in catalytic efficiency in comparison with an unemulsified two-phase and little loss on activity after five cycles. The conceptually novel dual-responsive system offers a green and energy-saving strategy for effective recycling of the nanocatalyst and intensification of biphasic reaction.
Keywords: CO2; Pickering interfacial catalysis; biphasic reaction; magnetic; recovery.