Discovering the hidden secrets of emulsions

Emulsions are at the basis of many processes, like in oil industry, and in detergency and of many commodities (foods, pharmaceutics, cosmetics); often, they are made using dangerous and polluting chemicals. Studying emulsions could help the industry to become more green, reducing or substituting these chemicals.

Our research aims at investigating several open problems in the physics of emulsions. What is the link between the effects of surfactants on a single oil-water interface and the ageing of emulsions? What are the main destabilization phenomena? How do drops move in different stages of emulsion ageing?

Experiments in microgravity during a parabolic flight

To study this, we combine correlation spectroscopy experiments also removing the effect of gravity by performing experiments in orbit on the International Space Station or in parabolic flights. We then perform numerical simulations and develop mathematical models to intepret the results and identify different dynamical regimes.

Emulsion observed under the microscope in microgravity
What we think that it happens when two drops coalesce. In blue are the surfactant molecules released.

Developing innovative filters to eliminate pollutants


Autore: Robert S. Donovan 
Copyright: © 2013 Robert S. Donovan
Air quality is a great concern in our society.

Air quality is a great concern in our society, and new efficient filters are needed. Some pollutants can escape from standard filters; filters for photocatalytic oxidation (PCO, filters formed by catalytic materials activated by light) can degrade them. An ideal filter exploiting advanced oxidation processes (AOP) has large active surface and uses little energy. We study innovative photocatalytic filters based on solid foams built using novel photoactive nanostructures, combining material science and interface science.

Skecth of the PCO photocatalytic oxidation process
Solid foam seen at the electronic microscope

Stimuli-responsive nanostructures for medicine and drug delivery

Nanostructures activated by external stimuli can generate physical (heating, mechanical stress) or chemical (generation of radicals) effects on their surroundings.

What if we could develop innovative medical approaches based on these nanostructures to treat health problems that are now difficult to treat?