Microemulsion-based organogels containing inorganic nanoparticles

Under certain conditions thermo-reversible transparent gels can be formed by addition of gelatin to water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions stabilized by the anionic surfactant AOT. Here it is shown that a variety of different surfactant-coated nanosized inorganic particles can be immobilized in MBGs, thus combining beneficial nanoparticle and organogel properties to form unique inorganic-organic hybrid materials with potential applications. UV-visible absorption suggests there to be little particle aggregation in these gel matrices, whilst small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) indicates only minimal changes to the organogel structure after particle inclusion. Furthermore, UV-visible spectra show no leaching of the nanoparticle components when the organogels are pelleted and stirred in apolar solvents.