Surfactant-free cellulose filaments stabilized oil in water emulsions

Abstract

There has been significant interest over recent years in the production and application of sustainable and green materials. Among these, nanocellulose has incurred great interest because of its exceptional properties and wide range of potential applications, including in Pickering emulsions. However, the production cost of these cellulosic materials has limited their application. In this study, the capability of a new type of cheaper cellulosic material, cellulose filaments (CFs), in formulating stable oil in water Pickering emulsions was investigated and compared with three conventional nanocelluloses, namely cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and TEMPO-oxidized CNFs (TEMPO-CNFs). Results showed that CFs can provide stable surfactant-free emulsions over wide ranges of salt concentration (0-500 mM) and pH