Structural changes of biocompatible neutral microemulsions stabilized by mixed surfactant containing soya phosphatidylcholine and their relationship with doxorubicin release

Depending on the composition, the mixture of surfactant, oil and water, may form supramolecular aggregates with different structures which can significantly influence the drug release. In this work several microemulsion (ME) systems containing soya phosphatidylcholine (SPC) and eumulgin HRE40™ (EU) as surfactant, cholesterol (O) as oil phase, and ultra-pure water as an aqueous phase were studied. MEs with and without the antitumoral drug doxorubicin (DOX) were prepared. The microstructures of the systems were characterized by photon correlation spectroscopy, rheological behavior, polarized light microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results reveal that the diameter of the oil droplets was dependent on the surfactant (S) amount added to formulations. The apparent viscosity was dependent on the O/S ratio. High O/S ratio leads to the crystallization of cholesterol polymorphs phases which restricts the mobility of the DOX molecules into the ME structure. Droplets with short-range spatial correlation were formed from the ME with the low O/S ratio. The increase of the cholesterol fraction in the O/S mixture leads to the formation of ordered structures with lamellar arrangements. These different structural organizations directly influenced the drug release profiles. The in vitro release assay showed that the increase of the O/S ratio in the formulations inhibited the constant rate of DOX release. Since the DOX release ratio was directly dependent on the ratio of O/S following an exponential decay profile, this feature can be used to control the DOX release from the ME formulations.     

Structural investigations of charged O/W microemulsion droplets

Structure and properties of charged oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions have been investigated and a short review of the work done on such systems is given. A particular system made up from a zwitterionic surfactant and hydrocarbon which becomes charged upon the addition of either cationic or anionic surfactant has been studied. A particular feature of this microemulsion system is that the charge density on the droplets can be fixed at a desired value in an easily controllable fashion. These systems have been characterized ed by means of light scattering, small - angle neutron scattering, interfacial tension measurements, electric conductivity, and viscosity measurements. The experiments showed that the aggregates remain of constant size over a large concentration region, i. e. from 0 to ≈ 30 wt %. Moreover there size is not much changed by the addition of the ionic surfactant. The interactions in this microemulsion system could be described by a hard sphere interaction with an additional DLVO - potential term that accounts for the electrostatic repulsion.     

Synthesis of nanosize europium oxide particles by using W/O microemulsion

Europium hydroxide particles with an average diameter of 10 run and a BET surface area of 127 m2 /g have been prepared by controlled precipitation in the polyoxyethylene octylphenol (Triton X-100) (hex-anol)/cyclohexane/water microemulsion system. After calcination in air at 750℃, the obtained europium hydroxide particles were readily converted to the nanosize Eu2O3 particles with an average size of 30 nm and a high BET surface area of 36.5 m2/g.     

Mixed O/W emulsions stabilized by solid particles: A model system for controlled mass transfer triggered by surfactant addition

This article deals with a model mixed oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion system developed to study the effect of surfactants on mass transfer between dispersed oil droplets of different composition. In this purpose, our goal was to formulate O/W emulsions without any surface active agents as stabilizer, which was achieved by replacing surfactants by a mixture of hydrophilic/hydrophobic silica particles. Then, to study the specific role of surfactants in the oil transfer process, different types and concentrations of surfactants were added to the mixed emulsion after its preparation. In such a way, the same original emulsion can be used for all experiments and the influence of various surface active molecules on the oil transfer mechanism can be directly studied. The model mixed emulsion used consists of a mixture of hexadecane-in-water and tetradecane-in-water emulsions. The transfer between tetradecane and hexadecane droplets was monitored by using differential scanning calorimetry, which allows the detection of freezing and melting signals characteristic of the composition of the dispersed oil droplets. The results obtained showed that it is possible to trigger the transfer of tetradecane towards hexadecane droplets by adding surfactants at concentrations above their critical micellar concentration, measured in presence of solid particles, through micellar transport mechanism.     

微乳液和微乳液凝胶中脂肪酶催化的酯合成反应

在ACT/异辛烷/水形成的油包水微乳液中,研究了Candidalipolytical(CL)脂肪酶催化庚酸和庚醇的酯化反应,动力学研究表明反应符合乒乓(Ping-Pong)BiBi机制,两底物酸和醇均有抑制效应,并测定了反应的表观动力学常数,将CL脂肪酶固定于含明胶的微乳液凝胶(MBGs)中,可制得固定化脂肪酶,含酶的MBGs在非极性有机溶剂中可作为一种新的固相催化剂,并研究了MBGs在异辛烷中催化合成酯反应的性能,所制得的MBGs重复利用性和贮存稳定性都非常好。     

W/O型微乳法制备淀粉基纳米粒

在正己烷、Span-60和NaOH水溶液的W／O型淀粉微乳液中,进行淀粉与环氧氯丙烷交联反应制备淀粉微球,用质量分数为1％的淀粉水浆液制备出微球的流体力学半径Rb为7．08—113nm,其中粒径不超过100nm的纳米粒在整个微粒体系中占69％,平均粒径为92．2nm。TEM和DLS结果表明,制得的微粒呈圆球形,且微粒的流体力学半径随淀粉水浆液浓度的增加而增大并分布变宽,淀粉水浆液的浓度低有利于淀粉基纳米粒的形成。     

Preparation of biodegradable polymeric hollow microspheres using O/O/W emulsion stabilized by Labrafil

Biodegradable hollow microspheres were prepared by double oil and water emulsion using a lipophilic surfactant, Labrafil M 1944 CS. Olive oil was emulsified in biodegradable polymer-dissolved dichloromethane mixed with Labrafil by vigorous sonication. This oil-in-oil emulsion was directly re-emulsified in 0.1% poly(vinyl alcohol) solution, subsequently solidified by evaporating dichloromethane. Olive oil and Labrafil were extracted from the microspheres by using hexane. After vigorous washing with n-hexane, the hollow microsphere was freeze-dried and examined under scanning electron microscopy, confirming the morphology of hollow microspheres with thin walls and huge blank cores inside. The concentration of poly(l-lactide) in dichloromethane affected the size of hollow microspheres while the volume of olive oil or dichloromethane did not. This hollow microsphere is expected to be employed as an imaging contrast agent and a novel drug delivery vehicle.     

Poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) polymerization in three-component microemulsion stabilized by a cationic surfactant

The polymerization of n-hexyl methacrylate (n-HMA) in three-component microemulsion stabilized with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) is reported as a function of monomer and initiator concentrations and temperature. The obtained latices were bluish, transparent, and translucent. Particle sizes and molar masses were on the order of 20 nm and 3 x 10(6) g/mol, respectively. In all cases, high reaction rates and final conversions of 98% were obtained. Polymerization temperature has a strong effect on reaction rate and conversion.     

Fluorescence quenching of anthracene by N,N-diethylaniline in the O/W microemulsion

Photoinduced electron-transfer system of anthracene-N,N-di-ethylaniline (DEA) was studied in the oil in water (O/W) mi-croemulsions formed by SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate),BA (benzyl alcohol) and H2O.The time-resolved fluorescence study showed that the fluorescence quenching of the excited anthracene by DEA occurs at the interface of the O/W mi-croemulsions.Besides as the quencher of the excited anthracene,N,N-diethylaniline could act as a cosurfactant to change the structures of the microemulsions,just as BA did.The quenching rate constants for the different structures of the system were determined.     

The effect of an anionic surfactant on the rheology and stability of high volume fraction O/W emulsion stabilized by PVA

The effect of the addition of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate) on the rheology and storage stability of concentrated O/W emulsions stabilized by poly (vinyl alcohol) is reported. It was found that the surfactant markedly reduced the magnitudes of the storage modulii of the emulsions. This could be attributed to a reduction in the interfacial tension resulting from the formation of polyelectrolyte type complexes between the PVA and NaDBS at the O/W interface. The results were compared to the equation (given by Princen) relating concentrated emulsion rheology to the interfacial tension and droplet size. Reasonable agreement was found, though there was a small difference in the constants in the equation given by Princen and those found here. The agreement suggested that the emulsions were deforming above a critical volume fraction and that the rheological properties were dominated by the dilation of the interface during shear. Microelectrophoresis measurements showed that the addition of the surfactant conferred a charge onto the PVA stabilized droplets as a result of the formation of the polyelectrolyte complex. The NaDBS was found to reduce the long-term stability of the emulsions compared to emulsions containing PVA alone.     

Effect of Fenton's reagent on O/W emulsions stabilized by black liquor

The effect of Fenton's reagent (FR) on surface and dispersion properties of black liquor (BL) was investigated. These properties were compared to those of indulin C (IC), a commercial lignin, and egg lecithin (Le). FR was applied at two different bulk concentrations of H2O2 (160 and 320 mM). At pH 8, a minimum in surface tension for the Fenton treated BL was observed. The dispersant ability of BL, IC and Le in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions was studied by measuring emulsion stability and drop size. It was found that the surface activity and emulsifying capability of BL were higher than those of IC. The emulsifying capability of Le was improved by the FR treatment at low H2O2 concentration.     

Formulation,drug release features and in vitro cytotoxic evaluation of nonionic mixed surfactant stabilized water-in-oil microemulsion loaded with doxorubicin

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Preparation of hollow silica nanospheres in O/W microemulsion system by hydrothermal temperature changes

Hollow silica nanospheres with wrinkled or smooth surfaces were successfully fabricated through a hydrothermal method. In this method, oil-in-water microemulsion (composed of cyclohexane, water, ethanol, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), and polyvinylpyrrolidone were utilized as template and capping agent, respectively. In such a facile synthesis, we can well realize the morphological transformation of spheres with radially oriented mesochannels to hollow structures of silica nanoparticle only by regulating the hydrothermal temperature from 100 °C to 200 °C. Synthesized samples with different mesostructures were then used as supports to immobilize Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). The immobilized CRL was employed as a new biocatalyst for biodiesel production through the esterification of heptanoic acid with ethanol. The conversion ratio of heptanoic acid with ethanol catalyzed by the immobilized CRL was also evaluated. Results of this study suggest that the prepared samples have potential applications in biocatalysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of PbS nanorods in W/O microemulsion system

PbS nanorods have been successfully synthesized in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion containing non-ionic surfactant OP, n-pentanol, cyclohexane, and aqueous solution. The effects of the molar ratio of water to surfactant (ω₀), the concentration of reactants and the ageing time on the morphologies of PbS nanoparticles were investigated. The microstructures, morphologies and properties of the synthesized products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed that the synthesized rod-like products are composed of cubic phase PbS. These nanorods have an average diameter of about 100 nm, and an average length of about 500 nm. In the UV-VIS absorption spectrum, the absorption edge of PbS nanorods exhibit a blue shift compared with that of bulk PbS, indicating the quantum confinement effect of PbS nano-particles     

Solvent extraction of thorium(IV) using W/O microemulsion

The extraction of thorium(IV) was investigated using two types of W/O microemulsion,one of which was formed by a surface-active saponified extractant sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate(NaDEHP) and the other was formed by a mixture of an anionic surfactant sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate(AOT) and an extractant bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid(HDEHP) as the cosurfactant.The extraction capacities of the above two systems were higher than that of the HDEHP extraction system.High concentration of NaNO 3 showed no influence on the extraction in the NaDEHP based W/O microemulsion system,whilst reduced the extractability in the AOT-HDEHP W/O microemulsion system.The mechanism in acidic condition was demonstrated by the log-log plot method.The structure of the aggregations and the water content in the organic phase after extraction were measured by dynamic light scattering and Karl Fischer water titration,respectively.It was found that NaDEHP based W/O microemulsion broke up after extraction,while AOT-HDEHP W/O microemulsion was reserved.     

Particle nucleation and monomer partitioning in styrene O/W microemulsion polymerization

Particle nucleation in the polymerization of styrene microemulsions was found to take place throughout the polymerization as indicated by measurements of the particle number as a function of conversion. A mechanism based on the nucleation in the microemulsion droplets was proposed to explain the experimental findings although homogeneous nucleation and coagulation during polymerization were not completely ruled out. A thermodynamic model was developed to simulate the partitioning of monomer in the different phases during polymerization. The model predicts that the oil cores of the microemulsion droplets were depleted early in the polymerization (4% conversion). Due to the high monomer/polymer swelling ratio of the polymer particles, most of the monomer resides in the polymer particles during polymerization. The termination of chain growth inside the polymer particles was attributed to the chain transfer reaction to monomer. The low n? (less than 0.5) of the microemulsion system was attributed to the fast exit of monomeric radicals.     

Formation of water-in-oil (W/O) nano-emulsions in a water/mixed non-ionic surfactant/oil systems prepared by a low-energy emulsification method

W/O nano-emulsion formation by a low-energy emulsification method is described for the first time. The nano-emulsions have been formed in water/mixed Cremophor EL:Cremophor WO7 surfactant/isopropyl myristate systems at Cremophor EL:Cremophor WO7 ratios between 1:2 and 1:9, by slow addition of isopropyl myristate to surfactant/water mixtures. Phase behaviour studies have showed that the compositions giving rise to W/O nano-emulsions belong to multiphase regions, one of the phases being a lamellar liquid crystalline phase. The droplet size of the nano-emulsions at a fixed oil concentration of 85% and mixed surfactants/water ratio of 70/30 ranged from 60 to 160 nm as Cremophor EL:Cremophor WO7 ratio increased from 1:8 to 1:2. These nano-emulsions showed high kinetic stability. No phase separation was observed during 5 months in nano-emulsions of the water/Cremophor EL:Cremophor WO7 1:8/isopropyl myristate system with 85% oil concentration, although droplet size experienced an increase with time.     

Study on preparation of modified lubricant containing nano-Schiff base and Schiff base copper complex in W/O microemulsion reactor

A successful preparation of Schiff base and Schiff base copper complex was carried out directly in polar base oil (vegetable oil) using a water/oil microemulsion reactor. The prepared nanometer sized Schiff base and Schiff base copper complex dispersed uniformly and spontaneously in the oil. The nanometer sized particles of the Cu(II) chelate of bissalicylaldehyde-ethylenediamine and the bissalicylaldehyde-ethylenediamine in oil were observed directly by SEM. Owing to a modification of the polar base oil (vegetable oil) by 1 wt % of nano-scale Cu(II) chelate of bissalicylaldehyde-ethylenediamine and 1 wt % of bissalicylaldehyde-ethylenediamine, the last nonseizure load had gone up 40% over that of the original ones. It was verified by AES analysis that steel/steel rubbing pairs went through a selective transfer process under lubrication with the modified polar lubricant. It was suggested that the mechanism of the improvement of tribological characteristics of the modified lubricant was selective transfer effect. An antibacterial activity of the modified lubricant was inspected also. The article is published in the original.     

Preparation and characterization of W/O/W double emulsions containing MgCl2

The aim of present study is to design food-grade W/O/W double emulsions encapsulating Mg²⁺ and investigate their stability and release properties. Prepared emulsions were characterized in terms of global stability, particle size, rheological properties, and interfacial tension. The double emulsions were sensitive to the presence of magnesium salt. The mean droplet size and viscosity of emulsions was positively correlated to MgCl₂ concentration. The microscopic pictures confirmed that the water transfer between two aqueous phases caused the reduced stability of double emulsions. It was suggested that swelling breakdown was the main mechanism in controlling the release of encapsulated Mg²⁺.     

反相微乳液中憎水性纳米金的原位还原法合成

利用十八胺(C18NH2)/正丁醇/正庚烷/HAuCl4(aq)W/O型微乳液体系,在常温的碱促进条件下由正丁醇原位还原氯金酸合成了具有高度单分散的憎水性金纳米粒子。由C18NH2稳定的金纳米颗粒运用紫外可见光谱(UV-vis)、透射电镜(TEM)和X射线衍射(XRD)等分别进行了表征和分析,并探讨了微乳液体系各组分对形成金纳米粒子形貌、尺寸和单分散性的影响。结果显示,随十八胺/氯金酸摩尔比的增加,金粒子的尺寸逐渐减小而单分散性逐渐提高。在正丁醇原位慢还原氯金酸的过程中,实验所选W/O型微乳液模板和表面活性剂十八胺分子对憎水性金纳米粒子的形貌和尺寸仍具有良好的控制作用。