ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Dynamics of lignin nanoparticles at the oil-water interface

Abstract: Lignin is known for being a promising bio-based alternative to various petroleum-derived materials. However, constructing a rational model to tailor its properties have been hindered by its structural complexity, influenced by both its source and extraction method. One of the promising applications for lignin is as emulsifiers, enabled by converting lignin into nanoparticles dispersible in aqueous media. These lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) are considered to be solid, prompting them to be considered as Pickering emulsifiers. However, our recent neutron reflectometry and small angle scattering experiments showed that these particles may deform as they adsorb at air-water and oil-water interfaces, where the degree of deformation appeared to be influenced by the type of lignin and the type of oil used. One hypothesis to explain this deformation is that the different lignin types differ in their chain flexibility, which may allow oils of different molecular weight to penetrate into the LNP matrix and deform them at the interfaces. To test this hypothesis, we propose to perform quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) at the IRIS spectrometer at ISIS, to measure the time scale associated with the flexibility of the lignin chains within the particles, both in the aqueous dispersion and adsorbed on emulsion droplets. The results would unlock a molecular-level understanding of the LNPs' behaviour at interfaces, contributing to a rational design in tailoring their surface properties.

Principal Investigator: Dr Theodorus Felix Darpieto Abik
Experimenter: Ms Lin Chen
Experimenter: Professor Kirsi Mikkonen
Local Contact: Dr Ian Silverwood
Experimenter: Dr Ryan Trevorah
Experimenter: Ms Tuuli Peltola
Experimenter: Mr Niko Havula

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610365

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610365

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Theodorus Felix Darpieto Abik et al; (2026): Dynamics of lignin nanoparticles at the oil-water interface, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610365

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.