Pickering emulsions with proteins Stabilization and rheological behavior

Emulsion science plays a pivotal role in our daily lives, influencing the production of a wide range of everyday products and industrial processes. Over the past few decades, significant attention has been given to emulsions stabilized with particles, also known as Pickering emulsions, owing to the alternatives they offer in addressing environmental challenges when using bio-based particles such as proteins. However, the development of Pickering emulsions using proteins has led to challenges in product and process design, particularly in terms of controlling emulsion properties while maintaining high-quality standards. This is primarily due to the complex nature of proteins as emulsifiers, as well as the perceived differences between "classical" surfactant-stabilized emulsions and Pickering systems. In this thesis, we elucidate our research findings in these domains.
This thesis addresses two key research questions: Can globular proteins be considered as particles for Pickering emulsions? And what quantifiable aspects differentiate an emulsion with classical surfactants from a Pickering emulsion? Across the six chapters that constitute this work, topics such as the prediction and characterization of the rheological behavior of Pickering emulsions with bovine serum albumin proteins, a comparative analysis of interfacial properties in classical emulsion systems, Pickering emulsions with solid particles and with proteins, as well as the study of interfacial properties of emulsions with proteins are explored. This work demonstrates the complexity of Pickering systems involving proteins and underscores the interest and necessity of further studying these intricate emulsions.