Synthesis and stability of switchable CO2-responsive foaming coupled with nanoparticles

• Published in: iScience 2022-10, Vol.25 (10), p.105091-105091, Article 105091
• Main Authors: Li, Songyan, Li, Shaopeng, Du, Kexin, Zhu, Jianzhong, Shang, Liying, Zhang, Kaiqiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Materials chemistry; Materials science; Materials synthesis
• ISSN: 2589-0042; 2589-0042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105091

CO2-responsive foaming has been drawing huge attention due to its unique switching characteristics in academic research and industrial practices, whereas its stability remains questionable for further applications. In this paper, a new CO2-switchable foam was synthesized by adding the preferably selected hydrophilic nanoparticle N20 into the foaming agent C12A, through a series of analytical experiments. Overall, the synergy between cationic surfactants and nanoparticles with a contact angle of 37.83° is the best. More specifically, after adding 1.5 wt% N20, the half-life of foam is 14 times longer than that of pure C12A foam. What’s more, the C12A-N20 solution is validated to own distinctive CO2-N2 switching features because very slight foaming degradations are observed in terms of the foaming volume and half-life time even after three cycles of CO2-N2 injections. This study is of paramount importance pertaining to future CO2 foam research and applications in energy and environmental practices. [Display omitted] •Cationic surfactants have the best synergy with NPs with a contact angle of 37.83°•The foam stability increased with the increase of NPs concentration•CO2/N2 can control the foaming properties of C12A-N20 solution and are reversible Chemistry; Materials science; Materials chemistry; Materials synthesis