Yingzhen Ma

The adsorption of amphiphilic molecules on solid-liquid interface forms different structure, such as micelles, discrete patches and continuous layer. The self-assembled structure of amphiphilic molecules on silica nanomaterials is governed by molecule-molecule interaction and surface-molecule interaction. However, the morphology of self-assembled molecules on nano-curved silica surface remains unknown due to the complexity of the interactions between the self-assembled molecules and the silica nanomaterials.

In my research, the Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) is used to investigated the morphology and phase transition of the amphiphilic molecules adsorbed on nano-curved silica surface. The fundamental knowledge gained on the adsorption of self-assemblies and their morphology provide insights into the new processing routes and extraction strategies to isolate crude oil, and outline a framework to program the stability of foams formed by mixtures of nanoparticles and amphiphiles.