Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have made significant strides in the use of nanoclay (NC) liquid marbles for programmed chemical reactions. In a recent study, a liquid marble with an NC multilayered shell was found to be stable in air, but collapsed on a liquid pool at a predetermined time. This allowed for controlled drug release and cascade chemical reactions at different locations within the same water pool.
The study sheds light on the use of NC liquid marbles as an effective tool for programmed chemical reactions and drug release.
Summary:
- NC liquid marbles are stable in air but collapse on a liquid pool with programmed time.
- The lifetime variation of the liquid marble is due to the high diffusion length and high advancing contact angle of the NC shell.
- Surface modification of NC wettability was studied by measuring static contact angles.
- NC-derived liquid marbles can release inner liquids without relying on dissolution, making them advantageous in terms of handling and energy consumption.
- NC liquid marbles are stable against a variety of substances, including electrolytes, acids, bases, and surfactants.
Details:
The researchers found that the controlled chemical modulation of NC wettability resulted in a wide range of lifetime variations, ranging from seconds to hours. The long vapor diffusion length and high advancing contact angle of the NC shell were identified as key factors in determining the lifetime of the liquid marble.
In addition, the study found that NC-derived liquid marbles can release inner liquids without relying on dissolution, which makes them advantageous from a handling and energy consumption perspective. The outer particles can be recycled, and the NC remains floating on top of the liquid pool.
Surface modification of NC wettability was also studied by measuring static contact angles for the beaded water droplet on the NC powder bed. The NC liquid marble remained stable against a variety of substances, including electrolytes, acids, bases, and surfactants.
In summary, the study demonstrates the potential of NC liquid marbles for programmed chemical reactions and drug release. The controlled modulation of NC wettability can result in a wide range of lifetime variations, making them a versatile tool for a variety of applications.
Preprogramming Floating Time of Liquid Marble
Barman; Shome; Kumar; Mondal; Jain; Tenjimbayashi; Manna; Barman; Shome; Kumar; Jain; Manna; Mondal; Manna; Manna; Mehta
Full-text link: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202214840
What this paper is about
- IIT Guwahati unraveled that the lifetime variation of liquid marble is due to the long vapor diffusion length and high advancing contact angle of the NC shell.
- However, the NC-derived liquid marble can release the inner liquid without relying on the dissolution, thus it is available even though the inner liquid and liquid pool has the same solubility parameter, and the outer particles can be recycled.
- Thereafter, the surface modification effect on NC wettability was studied by measuring the static contact angle s for the beaded water droplet on the NC powder bed.
What you can learn
- The NC liquid marble can release inner liquids even though the inner and floating liquid is the same, and the NC is not dissolved in the liquid pool-rather remained floating on top as shown in.
- In summary, NC liquid marbles are robust in air but collapse on the water pool due to coalescence between the inner liquid and water pool.
- The wide range variation in the liquid marble’s lifetime is not solely owing to the surface hydrophobicity but the high diffusion length of the NCs as the multilayered NC is used for the vapor barrier coating.
Core Q&A related to this research
What is a liquid marble?
A liquid marble is a droplet of liquid that is coated in a layer of powder or nanoparticles that create a thin shell around the droplet, allowing it to remain spherical and separate from its surroundings.
What is the significance of the NC multilayered shell in the liquid marble?
The NC multilayered shell in the liquid marble is robust and stable in air, but collapses on the liquid pool with a programmed time, allowing for controlled drug release and cascade chemical reactions at predetermined times and locations.
What is the impact of controlling the chemical modulation of NC wettability on the lifetime of the liquid marble?
Controlling the chemical modulation of NC wettability can result in the variation in the lifetime of the liquid marble from seconds to hours, due to the long vapor diffusion length and high advancing contact angle of the NC shell.
What liquids can the NC liquid marble remain stable against?
The NC liquid marble can remain stable with high apparent contact angles against a variety of liquids, including water (including electrolytes such as river or sea water), acid, base (pH 1), and surfactants (SDS or DTAB).
How is the lifetime of the NC liquid marble controlled in this work?
The lifetime of the NC liquid marble is controlled by manipulating the advancing contact angle on NCs following the chemical modulation of the surface hydrophobicity, resulting in a programmed lifetime for drug release and cascade chemical reactions at predetermined times and locations.
Basics Q&A related to this research
What is NC?
Answer: NC stands for Nanoclay, which is a type of clay consisting of ultrafine particles with dimensions on the order of nanometers.
What are liquid marbles?
Answer: Liquid marbles are small spherical droplets of liquid coated with a layer of hydrophobic particles that prevent them from wetting their surroundings.
How can liquid marbles be used for chemical reactions?
Answer: Liquid marbles can be used for programmed chemical reactions by incorporating reactive components in the liquid droplet and manipulating the conditions of the marble to initiate the reaction.
What is a multilayered shell in the context of liquid marbles?
Answer: A multilayered shell is a coating of hydrophobic particles applied to the liquid droplet in multiple layers to create a more robust and stable liquid marble.
What is wettability?
Answer: Wettability is the ability of a surface to be wetted by a liquid.
What is lifetime in the context of liquid marbles?
Answer: Lifetime refers to the duration for which a liquid marble can remain stable before collapsing or disintegrating.
What is vapor diffusion length?
Answer: Vapor diffusion length is the distance that a vapor molecule can travel in a medium before colliding with another molecule.
What is advancing contact angle?
Answer: Advancing contact angle is the angle formed between the solid surface and the tangent line of the droplet at the point where the droplet is advancing.
What is stability in the context of liquid marbles?
Answer: Stability refers to the ability of a liquid marble to maintain its shape and structure without collapsing or disintegrating.
What substances can the NC liquid marble remain stable against?
Answer: The NC liquid marble can remain stable against water, electrolytes (river or sea water), acid, base (pH 1), and surfactant (SDS or DTAB).
How can the NC liquid marble be used for drug release?
Answer: The programmable lifetime of the NC liquid marble can be utilized to release drugs at a predetermined time in a ‘time-bomb’ type release mechanism.
What is coalescence in the context of liquid marbles?
Answer: Coalescence is the process of two droplets merging together to form a larger droplet.
What is vapor condensation?
Answer: Vapor condensation is the process of a vapor turning into a liquid when it comes into contact with a cooler surface.
What is hydrophobicity?
Answer: Hydrophobicity is the property of being repelled by water.
What is surface modification?
Answer: Surface modification is the process of altering the properties of a surface by coating it with a layer of material.
What is static contact angle?
Answer: Static contact angle is the angle formed between the solid surface and the tangent line of the droplet at the point where the droplet is stationary.
What is a beaded water droplet?
Answer: A beaded water droplet is a droplet of water that is coated with hydrophobic particles, causing it to form a spherical shape and roll off a surface.
What are inner liquid and outer particles in the context of liquid marbles?
Answer: Inner liquid refers to the liquid droplet inside the liquid marble, while outer particles refer to the hydrophobic particles coating the surface of the droplet.
How can outer particles be recycled?
Answer: Outer particles can be recycled by separating them from the liquid droplet and reapplying them to create a new liquid marble.
