Studies of carbon dioxide in aqueous and organic liquid environments
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We use a microfluidic discovery platform to study and control the behaviour of CO2 in aqueous and organic liquid environments. We monitor CO2 properties in liquid phases using optical microscopy and IR spectroscopy.
Armoured bubbles for biomedical applications
Bubbles of carbon dioxide mixed with a small amount of gases with low solubility are generated in an aqueous dispersion of anionic particles. During the dissolution of CO2, the resulting acidification of the water causes the particles’ hydrophobicity to increase. This drives the particles to the surface of bubbles, thereby protecting them agains coalescence and dissolution. A similar approach is undertaken to form small, stable bubbles coated with biopolymers
Switchable solvents
Solvents with switchable polarity are of great interest for green chemistry reactions. We use microfluidics to study reversible solvent transitions - from non-polar to polar - upon reaction of CO2 with amines. This work will also contribute to important applications, such as the change in surface-active properties of surfactants, the solubility of catalysts, the change of the polarity of a solute, and CO2 sequestration.
Representative publications
- Park, J. I. et al. A Microfluidic Approach to Chemically Driven Assembly of Colloidal Particles at Gas-Liquid Interfaces Angew. Chemie Intnl. Ed.48, 5300-5304 (2009)
- Park, J. I. et al. Small, Stable, and Monodispersed Bubbles Encapsulated with Biopolymers. Macromol. Rapid. Comm. 31, 222 -227(2010).
- Park, J. I. et al. A Microfluidic Route to Small CO2 Microbubbles with Narrow Size Distribution. Soft Matter 6, 630 - 634 (2010)