Emulsion-Templated Fully Reversible Protein-in-Oil Gels

Abstract

We have developed a new method allowing us to transform low-viscous apolar fluids into elastic solids with a shear elastic modulus of the order of 10(3)-10(5) Pa. The elasticity of the elastic solid is provided by a percolating 3D network of proteins, which are originally adsorbed at the interface of an oil-in-water emulsion template. By cross-linking the protein films at the interface and upon removal of water, the template is driven into a structure resembling a dry foam where the protein interfaces constitute the walls of the foam and the air is replaced by oil confined within polyhedral, closely packed droplets. Depending on the density of the protein network, the final material consists of chemically unmodified oil in a proportion of 95 to 99.9%. The physical properties of the elastic solid obtained can be tuned by changing either the average diameter size of the emulsion template or the cross-linking process of the protein film. However, the original low-viscosity emulsion can be restored by simply rehydrating the solidified fluid. Therefore, the present procedure offers an appealing strategy to build up solid properties for hydrophobic liquids while preserving the low viscosity and ease of manufacturing.