(June 21, 2012) Earlier
this year, a team of scientists, led by Professor Julian Eastoe in the
University of Bristol’s School of Chemistry, announced they had created a
liquid surfactant (soap) that could be moved by a magnet.
This work
meant that surfactants could be directed towards specific points or removed
from a mixture just by applying a magnet.
Now, the
team has expanded the use of this surfactant by making magnetically responsive
emulsions with magnetic surfactant stabilisers.
Professor
Eastoe said: “Compared to nanoparticle-stabilised magnetic emulsions, a major
advantage of these magnetic surfactants is the simple synthesis and
purification, offering new possibilities for molecular design of specialist
surfactants.