Life Could Have Evolved in Armoured Clay Bubbles� - Technology Review: Anand Bala Subramaniam at Harvard University and a few pals have discovered that this process of vesicle formation also happens in a naturally occurring clay called montmorillonite. That's the kind of stuff that might clogg your boots after a hike.
They say bubbles easily form in a mixture of water and clay mix. When that happens, the clay forms a surface around the bubble which traps the contents inside. Then, any contact with chemicals called surfactants, stabilises shell. Subramaniam and co call the result a "clay armoured bubble". "These vesicles of clay are mechanically robust and are stable in water and other liquids," they say.
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