Interfacial Activity of Starch-Based Nanoparticles at the Oil-Water Interface.

Understanding the interfacial activity of polysaccharide nanoparticles adsorbed at oil-water interfaces is essential and important for the application of these nanoparticles as Pickering stabilizers. The interfacial properties of starch-based nanospheres (SNPs) at the interface of an n-hexane-water system were investigated by monitoring the interfacial tension at different bulk concentrations. The three-phase contact angle (θ) and the adsorption energy (ΔE) increased with increasing size and degree of substitution with octenyl succinic groups (OSA) in the particles. Compared with the OSA-modified starch (OSA-S) macromolecule, the SNPs effectively reduced the interfacial tension of the n-hexane-water system at a relatively higher concentration. These results and the method reported herein are useful for selecting and preparing polysaccharide nanoparticles as Pickering stabilizers for oil-water emulsions.