Quantification of polystyrene microsphere attachment probability at the oil‒water interface using a microfluidic platform

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of interparticle interactions and wettability on the particle attachment efficacy to the oil‒water interface. Three types of PS particles with different surface functional groups were examined at varying salt concentrations and the number of particles injected into the interface. Based on the microfluidic method and the surface coverage measurement, we found that the two contributing factors significantly influenced particle attachment efficiency to the interface, while the wettability factor has a major contribution. This research contributes to the understanding of physicochemical aspects of particle assembly at fluid interfaces and can offer strategies for forming tailored structures with desired interfacial properties.

Keywords

• Colloid
• Interface
• Interparticle interactions
• Wettability
• Interface-adsorption efficacy