Coming soon, new webinar: “Electrospinning of nanocellulose-stabilized emulsions toward multiphasic fibers”

In Pickering Emulsions (PEs), multiphasic systems are stabilized by particles. By electrospinning, these systems can be converted into fibers that preserve the multiphasic character and are able, for instance, to store active compounds through core-shell architectures. Due to this exceptional ability, such fibers have high promises for advanced material applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, filtration, or catalysis. This study explores fundamental principles of PE electrospinning based on polysaccharides, such as dextran that later form the multiphasic fiber matrix, and cellulose nanocrystals as emulsion stabilizers. To achieve fiber spinnability, we present strategies for tailoring water-in-water PEs, by selecting suitable water-soluble polymers, or by varying their concentration and the phase ratio, as well as by adapting the concentration of the particle stabilizer. The phase behavior and stability of PEs are analyzed by fluorescence microscopy, using selective dyes for each of the polymer phases. For fiber characterization, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the fiber morphologies and to confirm the resulting core-shell architecture, respectively. Ultimately, we will show how PE electrospinning can be a promising and, more importantly, scalable alternative to multiaxial electrospinning for the production of multiphasic and functional fibers.

Dr. Vanessa Castro is a material science specialist with a focus on polymers. She obtained her PhD in 2022 from UFSC (Brazil) with a project based on the development of conductive electrospun membranes for nerve regeneration. During the last year of her PhD, she participated in an exchange program at the Institute “Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon” (France) to investigate the potential of bio-ionic liquids to increase membranes properties, such as biocompatibility. In 2023, she started her postdoc in the Green Functional Materials group, led by Dr. Katja Heise. Her mission in the team was the development of green Pickering emulsions for multiple applications. Since November 2025, she has been the group leader of the BioWin junior research group at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany. The research is focused on sustainable materials and circular bioeconomy solutions. The work centers on converting agricultural and food-processing residues into high-value polymer-based materials such as films and electrospun membranes, using green chemistry.