Modified halloysite nanotubes: nanoarchitectures for enhancing the capture of oils from vapor and liquid phases.

We prepared hybrid halloysite nanotubes (HNT/sodium alkanoates) in which the inner cavity of the nanoclay was selectively modified. Physicochemical studies evidenced the interactions between HNT and sodium alkanoates, ruled out clay exfoliation, quantified the amount of the loaded substance, and showed an increase of the total net negative charge, allowing us to obtain rather stable aqueous nanoclay dispersions. These dispersions were exploited as inorganic micelles to capture hydrocarbon and aromatic oils in the vapor and liquid states and were revealed to be nonfoaming but very efficient in encapsulating oils. Here, we have fabricated biocompatibile and low-cost inorganic micelles that can be exploited for industrial applications on a large scale.