Tuning the assembly of silica nanoparticles at water-hydrocarbon interfaces is crucial for several applications including sustainable subsurface energy, wastewater treatment, and material synthesis. In this study, we elucidate the influence of surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the reversible assembly of silica nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles are found to: (a) dominate the interfaces in the absence of interfacial SDS molecules, (b) coexist with SDS at the interface at low surfactant concentration of 0.001 wt% and (c) migrate toward the aqueous phase at a high SDS concentration of 0.1 wt%. The energetic interactions contributing to these observations are discussed.

Tuning the assembly of silica nanoparticles at water-hydrocarbon interfaces

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