Pickering S Harem

Pickering's Harem: A Deep Dive into Self-Assembled Monolayers

Imagine a microscopic dance, a carefully choreographed ballet of molecules arranging themselves into a perfectly ordered layer on a surface. This isn't science fiction; it's the fascinating world of Pickering emulsions and, more specifically, "Pickering's harem," a captivating term referring to the complex interplay of diverse particles at the interface of two immiscible liquids. Forget the historical connotations of the term – we're talking about the elegant science behind stabilizing emulsions using solid particles.

What are Pickering Emulsions?

Unlike traditional emulsions stabilized by surfactants (soap-like molecules), Pickering emulsions leverage the power of solid particles. These particles, ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size, position themselves at the interface between two liquids – typically oil and water – preventing them from coalescing. This interfacial adsorption is driven by minimizing the overall interfacial energy, a thermodynamic principle that governs the system's stability. Think of it like tiny, solid life rafts keeping oil droplets afloat in a sea of water, or vice versa.

The effectiveness of a Pickering stabilizer depends on its wettability. A perfectly hydrophilic (water-loving) particle will favor the water phase, while a perfectly hydrophobic (water-fearing) particle will reside in the oil phase. However, the most effective particles exhibit a balance – a degree of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, allowing them to effectively span the interface and anchor themselves securely.

The "Harem" Effect: Diversity in Particle Stabilization

"Pickering's harem" refers to the use of a mixture of particles with varying wettabilities to stabilize an emulsion. This diverse assembly, in contrast to using a single type of particle, offers a range of advantages. The varying wettabilities of the particles allow for more robust and stable emulsions. Imagine a group of life rafts with different shapes and sizes, offering more comprehensive coverage and protection to the oil droplets, compared to using only one type of raft.

This diversity enhances several key emulsion properties:

Enhanced Stability: A mixed particle system provides redundancy. If one type of particle is less effective under certain conditions (e.g., temperature changes, pH variations), others can compensate, maintaining the emulsion's stability.

Tunable Properties: By adjusting the ratio and types of particles in the mixture, one can fine-tune the emulsion’s properties, such as droplet size, viscosity, and stability. This allows for precise control over the final product's characteristics.

Increased Robustness: The diverse interactions between the particles create a more interconnected and resilient interfacial layer, making the emulsion resistant to various destabilizing factors like shear stress or temperature fluctuations.

Real-World Applications of Pickering Emulsions

The unique properties of Pickering emulsions, particularly those stabilized by "Pickering's harems," open doors to a wide range of applications across various industries:

Food Industry: Stabilizing food emulsions, like mayonnaise or salad dressings, without using traditional emulsifiers. This is beneficial for consumers seeking healthier, less processed options.

Pharmaceuticals: Delivering drugs in a controlled and targeted manner. Pickering emulsions can encapsulate active pharmaceutical ingredients, protecting them from degradation and allowing for slow release.

Cosmetics: Creating stable and effective cosmetic formulations, like creams and lotions, with improved texture and stability.

Environmental Remediation: Removing oil spills from water bodies. Pickering emulsions can help encapsulate oil droplets, facilitating their removal and reducing environmental damage.

Material Science: Fabricating advanced materials with controlled porosity and surface properties. The emulsion templates can be used to create porous structures with tailored functionalities.

Beyond the "Harem": Future Directions

Research on Pickering emulsions continues to evolve, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Scientists are exploring novel particle types, including bio-based and biodegradable materials, to create sustainable and environmentally friendly emulsions. Furthermore, advanced characterization techniques are providing deeper insights into the complex interfacial interactions within these systems, leading to more accurate predictions and improved design of Pickering emulsions.

The future holds exciting possibilities for Pickering emulsions. By leveraging the power of particle diversity and careful control over interfacial interactions, scientists and engineers can create tailored emulsions for a myriad of applications, addressing pressing needs in various sectors.

Reflective Summary

Pickering emulsions, particularly those stabilized by the "harem" effect of diverse particles, offer a compelling alternative to traditional emulsifiers. Their unique properties, stemming from the complex interplay of particle wettability and interfacial adsorption, provide enhanced stability, tunable characteristics, and robustness. The versatility of Pickering emulsions translates into numerous real-world applications across various fields, paving the way for sustainable and innovative solutions in food science, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and environmental remediation.

FAQs

1. What are the limitations of Pickering emulsions? While highly advantageous, Pickering emulsions can be challenging to scale up for industrial production and might be sensitive to specific environmental factors (like high ionic strength).

2. How are the particle sizes selected for Pickering emulsions? The optimal particle size depends on the specific application and the properties of the liquids involved, but generally, particles with sizes comparable to or larger than the desired droplet size are preferred.

3. Are Pickering emulsions always stable? While typically more stable than traditional emulsions, the stability of Pickering emulsions is influenced by factors such as particle concentration, particle wettability, and environmental conditions.

4. What are some examples of particles used in Pickering emulsions? A wide range of particles can be used, including silica, clay minerals, polymers, and even biological materials like proteins and polysaccharides.

5. How does the "harem" effect differ from using a single type of particle? The "harem" effect, using a mixture of particles with varying wettabilities, provides enhanced stability and tunability compared to using a single particle type, creating more resilient and adaptable emulsions.

Search Results:

Pickering's Harem - Artsy 5 Dec 2018 · Amélie Bouvier’s series titled Pickering’s Harem ( 2017 – present ) is a suite of forty- five ink drawings on paper to represent the groundbreaking number of women who worked for Pickering at the Harvard Observatory.

The Untold Story Of The Women Who Discovered The Universe 29 Dec 2020 · Pickering recruited a team of women who, working for 25 to 50 cents an hour for six days every week, became known as "Pickering's Harem" and the "Harvard Computers." According to "Pickering's Harem," by Barbara L. Welther, this moniker was so pervasive that it was used to describe women astronomers even after Pickering's death.

Harem effect (science) - Wikipedia Edward Charles Pickering, astrophysicist and director of the Harvard College Observatory, assembled what became known as “Pickering's Harem”—an all-female staff of a dozen or more to assist in his research program to gather and analyze stellar spectra.

Harvard Women - woman astronomer Pickering hired approximately eighty women during his directorship at Harvard College Observatory. The above four women became bright stars of astronomy in their own right, though they were referred to as “Pickering’s Harem.”

The Women Who Mapped the Universe and Still Couldn’t Get … 18 Sep 2013 · In 1881, Edward Charles Pickering, director of the Harvard Observatory, had a problem: the volume of data coming into his observatory was exceeding his staff’s ability to analyze it.

The Forgotten Female Scientists Who Mapped Space - Flashbak 9 Aug 2021 · When in 1876, Pickering, a supporter of female suffrage, became the Observatory’s 4th director, he hired women ‘computers’, paying 25-30 cents an hour for work 6 days a week – around half what a man earned for an equivalent job.

Harvard’s Observatory Researchers, Pickering’s Harem 14 Apr 2024 · Edward Pickering, Harvard’s program director, hired his maid to do the job that his research team couldn’t. At that time women could be paid much less than men. He personally hired and managed over 80 women at the Observatory.

The Harvard Computers - astrobites 4 Nov 2019 · They were a group of female workers hired by the Harvard College Observatory, under the supervision of Edward Charles Pickering. This group was originally called “Pickering’s Harem”, a name that is offensive and indicates how these women were expected to play a secondary role to their supervisor.

Harvard Computers - Wikipedia Pickering published her work with his name as co-author. The legacy she left allowed future scientists to make further discoveries in space. Astronomer Edwin Hubble used Leavitt's method to calculate the distance of the nearest galaxy to the earth, the Andromeda Galaxy.

Pickering's Harem: women who worked as human computers at Harvard's ... 24 Mar 2014 · The latest episode of the fantastic Memory Palace podcast is about Pickering's Harem — the women who worked as human computers for the director of Harvard's observatory...

Pickerings Harem - Minerva Scientifica “Pickering's Harem," so-called, the group of women computers at the Harvard College Observatory. The group, overseen by Williamina Fleming included Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868–1921), Annie Jump Cannon (1863–1941), and Antonia Maury (1866–1952).

Pickering's Harem - SpeakerNet Their stories plus those of a host of other female astronomers hired by Charles Edward Pickering between 1880 and 1919 give. a remarkable insight on the determination by these women to succeed.

The Harvard Computers | The Engines of Our Ingenuity Today, Pickering's Harem. The University of Houston's College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them. Astronomer Edward Charles Pickering had a problem.

The Harem Effect On Female Scientists In The Victorian Era 20 Mar 2016 · In spite of his shortcomings, Pickering encouraged the women in his “harem” to attend conferences and present papers. Many of the female scientists in his harem went on to make profound contributions and their data provided the empirical foundations for larger astronomical theory.

<i>Pickering's Harem</i><br>2017-2018 - Amélie Bouvier Pickering's Harem 2017 - ongoing Edward Charles Pickering (director of the Harvard Observatory from 1877 to 1919) employed women to process astronomical data.

Harvard's 'Computers': The Women Who Measured the Stars 10 Nov 2016 · All told, a few dozen women (reported as anywhere between 40 and 80) were hired over the decades and were informally known as "Pickering's Harem" – a term that today would be considered...

How Three Women “Computers” Made History at the Harvard Observatory 5 Nov 2020 · Despite their groundbreaking research, Harvard Computers like Fleming, Maury, and Cannon faced ridicule from some of their male colleagues. The women, who worked for Edward Pickering, ignored the jeers about “Pickering’s girls” or …

A group of women at Harvard in the late 1800s catalogued the … 17 Apr 2018 · Photograph of the Harvard Computers (unflatteringly known as “Pickering’s Harem”), a group of women who worked under Edward Charles Pickering at the Harvard College Observatory. More than 80 women would work for Pickering …

Harvard’s Forgotten Female Astronomers | Magazine - The Harvard Crimson 26 Sep 2019 · Skeptics called them “Pickering’s harem,” but the women scientists still impressed their male colleagues with their talent — in 1906, Fleming became the first American woman member of the Royal...

The Harvard computers - Nature 3 Sep 2008 · Edward Pickering, the Harvard College Observatory director in 1877–1919, famously said that the computing work at his observatory was so easy that even his “Scotch maid” could do it. This was...

Pickering S Harem