Designer Surfactants for Creation of Emulsion Properties

We propose new approaches to the design of surfactants for stabilising water in oil emulsions. New block copolymer surfactants may be "tailored" for head group structure and a pre-chosen hydrophilic/lipophilic balance at the oil-water interface using the Australian developed RAFT polymer synthesis method and polymeric inorganic species. The proposers have an extensive background in these areas. X-ray and neutron scattering techniques, developed by us, allow the interfacial structure of the surfactant to be found and the intellectual "loop" closed in the design process. Preliminary screening will be done using the surface balance and bulk emulsion synthesis.