Sizing nanoparticle-covered droplets by extrusion through track-etch membranes.

Interfacial segregation of nanoparticles on droplets, such as water droplets in oil, is achieved by mixing or shaking organic solutions of the nanoparticles with water. This typically results in the formation of droplets with a large distribution of sizes, ranging from 10 microm to greater than 200 microm in diameter. Here we describe the application of track-etch membranes to control the size of these nanoparticle-coated droplets. Passing nanoparticle-coated droplets through the membranes substantially reduces their size by breaking up the droplets during the extrusion process and reforming droplets of comparable size to the membrane pore diameter. When the nanoparticles used in these sizing procedures are covered with functional ligands, stabilization of the post-extrusion diameter is achieved by polymerization/cross-linking of the ligand periphery.