Cellulose nanofiber from pomelo spongy tissue as a novel particle stabilizer for Pickering emulsion

Abstract

For the high-value utilization of agricultural wastes to promote sustainable development, in this work, pomelo spongy tissue cellulose nanofibers (PCNFs) with lengths >3 μm and widths 33–64 nm were prepared by high pressure homogenization (HPH). The PCNFs were used to stabilized Pickering emulsion, and the emulsion with oil phase fraction in the range of 10 % to 50 % (w/w) exhibited outstanding stability. The increase in PCNFs concentration also enhanced the three-dimensional network structure, resulting in higher stability of the emulsion. Moreover, the droplet size distribution of emulsion would be greatly improved by moderate heating. No creaming was observed in emulsions over a wide range of ionic strengths (20–200 mM) after storage for 30 d. And the excellent emulsifying properties of the PCNFs were mainly attributed to their adsorption at the oil-water interface and the formation of a three-dimensional network structure. All the results indicated that the PCNF would be a promising novel stabilizer for Pickering emulsions.