Bicontinuous microemulsions in confinement - absorption into porous matrices, phase behavior and transport

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Thomas Hellweg; Dr. Stefan Wellert
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Physics of Polymers ; Statistical Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Complex Systems, Soft and Fluid Matter, Biological Physics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 455432427

The proposed project is dedicated to the investigation of bicontinuous microemulsions in disordered mesoporous matrices with respect to their structure and dynamics within the geometric constraints. When a bicontinuous microemulsion penetrates a mesoporous structure, a change in the phase behaviour and thus a change in the physicochemical properties of the microemulsions is expected. In this project the influence of wetting and penetration of porous structures of different hydrophobicity on the phase behaviour of bicontinuous microemulsions will be studied. Microemulsions of ternary phase systems with a temperature sensitive phase behaviour as well as microemulsions of quaternary phase systems based on sugar surfactants will be investigated. The relationship between the propagation in hydrophilic and hydrophobic pores, the wetting behaviour of the bicontinuous microemulsions within these pores and the phase behaviour that develops will be clarified. It will also be investigated how the geometric restriction affects the critical behaviour of the microemulsions and whether microphase separation is induced. The use of small angle scattering methods, especially neutron small angle scattering and optical microscopy (especially single molecule localization microscopy) plays a central role in the structural elucidation within the mesoporous matrices. Within the mesoporous environment a change in the inner dynamics in the microemulsions is also expected, which will be investigated by using neutron spin echo spectroscopy. This will allow a comparison of the dynamics in the volume phase, at planar interfaces and inside pore matrices.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants