The aim of this work is to compare the oil-in-water emulsions produced by mechanical agitation (Ultra-Turrax, 10,000 rpm, P = 170 W) or power ultrasound (ultrasound horn, 20 kHz, 130 W) using the same model system: water/kerosene/polyethoxylated (20 EO) sorbitan monostearate. The following parameters were varied: emulsification time, surfactant concentration, consumed power and volume fraction of oil. With ultrasound, the drop size (Sauter diameter, d32) is much smaller than that given by mechanical agitation under the same conditions, which makes insonated emulsions more stable. For a given drop size (d32), less surfactant is required.

Water-borne phosphine-functionalized core-cross-linked micelles (CCM) consisting of a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell were obtained as stable latexes by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) in water in a one-pot, three-step process. Initial homogeneous aqueous-phase copolymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) and poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate (PEOMA) is followed by copolymerization of styrene (S) and 4-diphenylphosphinostyrene (DPPS), yielding P(MAA-co-PEOMA)-b-P(S-co-DPPS) amphiphilic block copolymer micelles (M) by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), and final micellar cross-linking with a mixture of S and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The CCM were characterized by dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopy to evaluate size, dispersity, stability, and the swelling ability of various organic substrates. Coordination of [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ] (acac=acetylacetonate) to the core-confined phosphine groups was rapid and quantitative. The CCM and M latexes were then used, in combination with [Rh(acac)(CO)2 ], to catalyze the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene, in which they showed high activity, recyclability, protection of the activated Rh center by the polymer scaffold, and low Rh leaching. The CCM latex gave slightly lower catalytic activity but significantly less Rh leaching than the M latex. A control experiment conducted in the presence of the sulfoxantphos ligand pointed to the action of the CCM as catalytic nanoreactors with substrate and product transport into and out of the polymer core, rather than as a surfactant in interfacial catalysis.

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The solubility of H2 has been measured as a function of pressure in ethanol + water and various solvents at (298 and 323) K. The results are compared with theoretical predictions for H2 in different solvents and some mixtures and found to agree within ±10% error, except for acetonitrile. The solubility of CO in 1-octene has also been measured. Liquid−liquid equilibrium for the 1-octene + water + ethanol system was measured at (298 and 323) K, but the predictions of these data by the UNIFAC−UNIQUAC models were not found to be satisfactory, except for higher 1-octene concentrations in water (>6% w/w) for which the predictions were within 10% error.

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