High performance hydrophobic suberin nanoparticles for the generation of liquid-air biphasic droplets with application in food and therapeutics

An antibubble is a droplet of liquid with a shell surrounded by a thin film of gas.

Antibubbles have many potential applications, e.g. drug delivery with application in a clinical setting and the food industry. The major challenge is to develop antibubbles with a long life time; essential for industry usage. The gas shell can be stabilized using hydrophobic nanoparticles to create a particle shell surrounding the air.

The use of particles, instead of surfactants, to stabilize dispersed systems is an attractive sustainable solution for the food industry.

Our demonstration of the ionic liquid-catalyzed purification of the polyester suberin - from plant materials in the form of hydrophobic nanoparticles led us to investigate their potential application for the generation of high performance antibubbles.