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research article

Ionosomes: Observation of Ionic Bilayer Water Clusters

Deng, Haiqiang
•
Peljo, Pekka  
•
Huang, Xinjian
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May 26, 2021
Journal Of The American Chemical Society

Emulsification of immiscible two-phase fluids, i.e., one condensed phase dispersed homogeneously as tiny droplets in an outer continuous medium, plays a key role in medicine, food, chemical separations, cosmetics, fabrication of micro- and nanoparticles and capsules, and dynamic optics. Herein, we demonstrate that water clusters/droplets can be formed in an organic phase via the spontaneous assembling of ionic bilayers. We term these clusters ionosomes, by analogy with liposomes where water clusters are encapsulated in a bilayer of lipid molecules. The driving force for the generation of ionosomes is a unique asymmetrical electrostatic attraction at the water/oil interface: small and more mobile hydrated ions reside in the inner aqueous side, which correlate tightly with the lipophilic bulky counterions in the adjacent outer oil side. These ionosomes can be formed through electrochemical (using an external power source) or chemical (by salt distribution) polarization at the liquid-liquid interface. The charge density of the cations, the organic solvent, and the synergistic effects between tetraethylammonium and lithium cations, all affecting the formation of ionosomes, were investigated. These results clearly prove that a new emulsification strategy is developed providing an alternative and generic platform, besides the canonical emulsification procedure with either ionic or nonionic surfactants as emulsifiers. Finally, we also demonstrate the detection of individual ionosomes via single-entity electrochemistry.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1021/jacs.0c12250
Web of Science ID

WOS:000657212800012

Author(s)
Deng, Haiqiang
Peljo, Pekka  
Huang, Xinjian
Smirnov, Evgeny  
Sarkar, Sujoy
Maye, Sunny  
Girault, Hubert H.  
Mandler, Daniel
Date Issued

2021-05-26

Publisher

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Published in
Journal Of The American Chemical Society
Volume

143

Issue

20

Start page

7671

End page

7680

Subjects

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary

•

Chemistry

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emulsion droplet collisions

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electrochemical detection

•

oxygen reduction

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univalent ions

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single

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interface

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nanoparticles

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salts

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transients

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solvation

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LEPA  
Available on Infoscience
June 19, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/179281
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