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Membrane emulsification and de-emulsification by physical and entropic levers

Functional liquid-infused porous membranes show promise in many applications including emulsification of liquid mixtures and de-emulsification for water purification. In situ liquid-infused aerogel membranes with reverse functionality exploit a hierarchical microstructure of hydrated aerogels and the functionality of micro-confined water, enabling on-demand emulsification/de-emulsification.

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Fig. 1: Entropic separation of a hydrophobic solute by nano-confined water in a hydrophilic nano-fibre matrix.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    James D. Martin & Lucian Lucia

  2. Department of Forest Biomaterials, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Lucian Lucia

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  1. James D. Martin
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  2. Lucian Lucia
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James D. Martin or Lucian Lucia.

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Martin, J.D., Lucia, L. Membrane emulsification and de-emulsification by physical and entropic levers.
Nat Water 2, 809–810 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00306-6

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  • Published: 19 September 2024

  • Issue Date: September 2024

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-024-00306-6

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