Preparation and in vitro evaluation of hydrophobic‐modified montmorillonite stabilized pickering emulsion for overdose acetaminophen removal

Pickering emulsion stabilized with hydrophobic‐modified montmorillonite (HMMT) was proposed for treating acute overdose acetaminophen intoxication, with a rapid removal rate, better stability, and good biocompatibility. The tiny HMMT was able to adsorb at the oil‐water interface of the Pickering emulsion to reduce the interfacial energy along with the formation of solid particle layer, in order to enhance the stability of the emulsion and improve the removal performance. With a fast removal rate, the detoxifying Pickering emulsion removed 0.5 g/L acetaminophen in the simulated gastric fluid to 0.13 g/L in 6 min, which is less than the intoxication content of 0.15 g/L, with a leakage ratio of lower than 4 % in simulated intestinal fluid over 4 h. Such a detoxifying emulsion was prepared at 55 °C with 2 % organoclay (HMMT) as the emulsifier, 6 % tributyl phosphate (TBP) as the extractant, and 0.1 mol/L NaOH as the inner phase in the volume ratio of 5:7. All the results denoted that the Pickering emulsion could be a promising candidate for the acute oral intoxication treatment.