Interfacial silica nanoparticles stabilize cocontinuous polymer blends

Understand

We investigated the formation of cocontinuous structures in polymer blends.

• These polymeric bijels (bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels) were composed of polystyrene oligomer, polybutene and fluorescent hydrophobic silica nanoparticles.
• A micron-sized cocontinuous morphology was stabilized by a monolayer of silica nanoparticles at the interface.
• Real-time observation of coalescence dynamics in co-continuous polymer blends stabilized by interfacial particles was for the first time achieved via laser scanning confocal microscopy.