Foam stabilisation using surfactant exfoliated graphene

Abstract

Liquid–air foams have been stabilised using a suspension of graphene particles at very low particle loadings. The suspension was prepared through the liquid phase exfoliation of graphite in the presence of the non-ionic tri-block surfactant, Pluronic® F108. The graphene particles possess an extremely high aspect ratio, with lateral dimensions of between 0.1 and 1.3μm as evidenced by TEM imaging. The particles were shown to exhibit a number of other properties known to favour stabilisation of foam structures. Particle surface activity was confirmed through surface tension measurements, suggesting the particles favour adsorption at the air–water interface. The evolution of bubble size distributions over time indicated the presence of particles yielded improvements to foam stability due to a reduction in disproportionation. Foam stability measurements showed a non-linear relationship between foam half-life and graphene concentration, indicative of the rate at which particles adsorb at bubble surfaces. The wettability of the graphene particles was altered upon addition of alkali metal chlorides, with the stability of the foams being enhanced according to the series Na+>Li+>K+>Cs+. This effect is indicative of the relative hydration capacity of each salt with respect to the surfactant, which is adsorbed along the graphene plane as a result of the exfoliation process. Thus, surfactant exfoliated graphene particles exhibit a number of different features that demonstrate efficient application of high-aspect ratio particles in the customisation and enhancement of foams.