Smart Foams: Switching Reversibly between Ultrastable and Unstable Foams

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201102115
• Publication Date: 2011-07-20T13:43:04Z
• Authors: Anne‐Laure Fameau; Arnaud Saint‐Jalmes; Fabrice Cousin; Bérénice Houinsou...; Bruno Novales; Laurence Navailles; Frédéric Nallet; Cédric Gaillard; François Boué; Jean‐Paul Douliez
• Keywords: [PHYS]Physics [physics]; Tubes; Microscopy, Confocal; Air; Interfaces; Fatty Acids; Temperature; Water; FOS: Physical sciences; Foams; Self-assembly; 02 engineering and technology; Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter; Neutron Diffraction; [CHIM.POLY]Chemical Sciences/Polymers; Scattering, Small Angle; Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft); Adsorption; Fatty acids; 0210 nano-technology; [PHYS.COND.CM-SCM]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Soft Condensed Matter [cond-mat.soft]; Stearic Acids

Ultrastable foams with an optimal foamability have been obtained using hydroxyl fatty acids tubes. The stabilization results from the adsorption of monomers at the air-water interface preventing coalescence and coarsening and from the presence of tubes in the Plateau borders limiting the drainage. Upon heating, tubes transit to micelles, which induces foam destabilization. Such foams are thus the first to have a temperature tunable stability.