Microbial Activation of Bacillus subtilis-Immobilized Microgel Particles for Enhanced Oil Recovery.

Microbially enhanced oil recovery involves the use of microorganisms to extract oil remaining in reservoirs. Here, we report fabrication of microgel particles with immobilized Bacillus subtilis for application to microbially enhanced oil recovery. Using B. subtilis isolated from oil-contaminated soils in Myanmar, we evaluated the ability of this microbe to reduce the interfacial tension at the oil-water interface via production of biosurfactant molecules, eventually yielding excellent emulsification across a broad range of the medium pH and ionic strength. To safely deliver B. subtilis into a permeable porous medium, in this study, these bacteria were physically immobilized in a hydrogel mesh of microgel particles. In a core flooding experiment, in which the microgel particles were injected into a column packed with silica beads, we found that these particles significantly increased oil recovery in a concentration-dependent manner. This result shows that a mesh of microgel particles encapsulating biosurfactant-producing microorganisms holds promise for recovery of oil from porous media.

Fabrication of monodisperse liposomes-in-microgel hybrid microparticles in capillary-based microfluidic devices.

This study introduces a drop-based microfluidic approach to physically immobilize liposomes in microgel (liposomes-in-microgel) particles. For this, we generate a uniform liposomes-in-water-in-oil emulsion in a capillary-based microfluidic device. Basically, we have investigated how the flow rate and flow composition affect generation of emulsion precursor drops in micro-channels. Then, the precursor emulsion drops are solidified by photo-polymerization. From characterization of hydrogel mesh sizes, we have figured out that the mesh size of the liposomes-in-microgel particles is bigger than that of bare microgel particles, since liposomes take space in the hydrogel phase. In our further study on drug releasing, we have observed that immobilization of liposomes in the microgel particles can not only remarkably retard drug releasing, but also enables a sustained release, which stems from the enhanced matrix viscosity of the surrounding hydrogel phase.

Stabilization of Pickering emulsions by generating complex colloidal layers at liquid-liquid interfaces.

Typical Pickering emulsions accumulate particles to form a robust colloidal layer at an immiscible liquid-liquid interface. However, if the particles are smaller than tens of nanometers, they have a tendency toward coming off from the interface, thereby destabilizing emulsion drops. To solve this problem, a technique that can make the adsorbed nanoparticles stay at the interface should be developed. This study introduces a practical method that allows us to obtain a mechanically stable Pickering emulsions; n-decane was emulsified to form an oil-in-water emulsion of which interface was stabilized with a complex colloidal layer consisting of 12 nm-sized silica nanoparticles, a poly(vinyl alcohol) binder, and an alkyl-chained silane coupling agent. We have found that in the conditions of high salinity, the emulsion drops attract each other and form an emulsion gel phase. However, even in such harsh conditions, the complex silica layer maintains its original structure at the interface, thus stabilizing the emulsion drop against coalescence.