biostudies-literatureAguado RJMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovaci?n12580-12589https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9999351biostudies-literatureUnknown15(9)The use of dithizone (DTZ) for colorimetric heavy-metal detection is approximately one century old. However, its pending stability issues and the need for simple indicators justify further research. Using cellulose nanofibers, we attained DTZ-containing emulsions with high stability. These emulsions had water (at least 95 wt %) and acetic acid (1-8 mL/L) conforming the continuous phase, while dispersed droplets of diameter <1 μm contained chloroform-solvated DTZ (3 wt %). The solvation cluster was computed by molecular dynamics simulations, suggesting that chloroform slightly reduces the dihedral angle between the two sides of the thiocarbazone chain. Nanocellulose concentrations over 0.2 wt % sufficed to obtain macroscopically homogeneous mixtures with no phase separation. Furthermore, thACS applied materials & interfacesDurable Nanocellulose-Stabilized Emulsions of Dithizone/Chloroform in Water for Hg²⁺ Detection: A Novel Approach for a Classical Problem.PMC9999351PID2020-113850RB-C22Fiol NDelgado-Aguilar MTarres QAguado RJMutje PMazega AfalseDurable Nanocellulose-Stabilized Emulsions of Dithizone/Chloroform in Water for Hg²⁺ Detection: A Novel Approach for a Classical Problem.The use of dithizone (DTZ) for colorimetric heavy-metal detection is approximately one century old. However, its pending stability issues and the need for simple indicators justify further research. Using cellulose nanofibers, we attained DTZ-containing emulsions with high stability. These emulsions had water (at least 95 wt %) and acetic acid (1-8 mL/L) conforming the continuous phase, while dispersed droplets of diameter <1 μm contained chloroform-solvated DTZ (3 wt %). The solvation cluster was computed by molecular dynamics simulations, suggesting that chloroform slightly reduces the dihedral angle between the two sides of the thiocarbazone chain. Nanocellulose concentrations over 0.2 wt % sufficed to obtain macroscopically homogeneous mixtures with no phase separation. Furthermore, th2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Mar2026-03-17T16:06:36.185Z2024-11-13T20:14:15.604ZS-EPMC99993513682182610.1021/acsami.2c22713