Substrate-Directed Wetting Layers in Bicontinuous Particle-Stabilised Emulsions

Abstract

Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) facilitate efficient mass transport across multiple length scales due to their interwoven structure of particle-stabilised liquid channels. This unique morphology imparts considerable potential for applications in separation and catalysis, particularly when fabricated \textit{via} solvent-transfer-induced phase separation (STrIPS). STrIPS enables the continuous, large-scale production of nanostructured bijel films on solid substrates, yet the influence of the substrate properties on the formation dynamics and final morphology remains insufficiently understood. In this study, this relationship is elucidated by preparing STrIPS bijel films on silane-functionalised glass substrates with selectively controlled wettability and analysing the resulting structure with confocal microscopy. The results showed the presence of notable wetting layers at the bijel-substrate interface, whose thicknesses could be tuned through the nanoparticle weight fraction. In line with numerical simulations, increasing the substrate hydrophobicity drove a transition from a laminar, water-rich surface layer to a patch-like, progressively oil-rich structure. These findings provide crucial insight into the structure-directing role of substrates in supported bijel films, which aids their application as functional materials.

13 pages, 7 figures