Colloidal Gelation Implemented by Surface Roughness Enables Enhanced Biomedical Functionality for a Pickering System

Abstract Conventional soft materials are faced with various restraints in commercialization since their physicochemical properties are difficult to be properly functionalized without introducing any instability. This work explores the enormous advantages of rough colloids as the building blocks in Pickering systems, where colloidal gelation enhanced by surface roughness promotes the creation of particle bridges and a percolating network, imparting the created emulsion gel with greatly improved viscoelasticity (storage modulus ≈8 × 10 3 Pa), remarkable thixotropy, and the delivery ability of bioactive components. For enhanced biomedical functionality, numerical simulations first attest to the rough particles’ physical blocking of ultraviolet (UV) radiation; in vitro and in vivo experiments further prove that an octocrylene‐loaded emulsion gel can provide superior protection against sunburn. Compared to commercial products, this Pickering system features a more significant antioxidant capacity and causes milder skin damage. As suggested by these results, the utilization of rough colloids opens new frontiers in functionalizing conventional soft materials and, therefore, extending their applications in many commercial areas.