Nanocelluloses are versatile, bio-based materials capable of forming stable colloidal systems via Pickering stabilization. The combination of deep eutectic solvent (DES) pretreatment with ultra-high-pressure homogenization (UHPH) represents a promising green strategy to produce functional nanocellulose particles with tunable properties. In the present work, choline chloride-based DESs with glycerol (ChG), urea (ChU), or malic acid (ChMA) were used to pretreat microcrystalline cellulose prior to UHPH processing, yielding nanocelluloses with distinct morphologies and surface characteristics. Pickering oil-in-water emulsions were prepared, and their microstructure, rheological behavior, and colloidal stability were evaluated under varying temperature, pH, and ionic strength conditions. ChG and ChU treated nanocellulose exhibited long, flexible fibrils that stabilized the o/w emulsions primarily through network-mediated steric hindrance and lipid droplet immobilization. In contrast, ChMA treated nanocellulose featured shorter, highly charged particles that enhanced droplet dispersion via electrostatic repulsion though showing higher sensitivity to pH and ionic strength. Overall, the Pickering o/w emulsions demonstrated high stability over a broad range of temperatures (25–50 °C), pH values (4. 5–10), and ionic strengths (≤ 200 mM NaCl), highlighting the effectiveness of DES–UHPH processing for tuning nanocellulose-based Pickering stabilization mechanisms in food-relevant emulsion systems. • DES tailors the nanocellulose Pickering emulsion stabilization mechanisms. • Glycerol- and urea-based DES CNFs stabilize emulsions via steric network formation. • Malic acid–based DES CNFs yield uniform droplets through electrostatic repulsion. • CNF type governs emulsion stability across varying pH and ionic strength conditions. • DES-UHPH-processed nanocellulose enables robust Pickering emulsions for food systems.
You et al. (Sun,) studied this question.