Water-In-Water Emulsion Gels Stabilized by Cellulose Nanocrystals

Particle-stabilized water-in-water emulsions were prepared by mixing dextran and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in water and adding cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The CNC formed a layer at the surface of the dispersed droplets formed by the PEO-rich phase. Excess CNC partitioned to the continuous dextran phase. Aggregation of CNC at different rates was induced by adding NaCl between 10 and 100 mM. In the presence of more than 2 g/L CNC, fast aggregation led to the formation of an emulsion gel showing no signs of creaming. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the emulgels were formed by a continuous network of CNC in which the randomly distributed droplets were embedded. The gel stiffness was measured with oscillatory shear rheology and found to increase strongly with increasing CNC concentration ( C). The dispersed droplets were elastically active and increased the gel stiffness at low C. However, up to C = 10 g/L, the yield stress was too small to inhibit the flow when the gels were tilted. At C < 2 g/L, creaming was observed until the network of connected droplets became sufficiently dense to be strong enough to resist buoyancy.