Poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and 1-Octyl-2-pyrrolidinone Modified Ionic Microemulsions

The influence of the nonionic polymer poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) in comparison to the surfactant 1-octyl-2-pyrrolidinone (OP) on the phase behavior of the system SDS/pentanol/xylene/water was studied. In both modified systems a strong increase in the water solubilization capacity was found, accompanied by a change in the spontaneous curvature toward zero. In the polymer-modified system an isotropic phase channel is formed with increasing polymer content that connects the L1 and the L2 phase. The lamellar liquid crystalline phase is destabilized in both cases. In the L1 phase the adsorption of PVP at the surface of the microemulsion droplets and the formation of a cluster-like structure is proven by several methods like ¹³C NMR T₁ relaxation time measurments, zeta potential measurements, and rheology. In the L2 phase a modification of the interface of the inverse droplets is detected by a shift in the percolation boundary (conductivity) and ¹³C NMR T₁ relaxation measurements. The formation of a cluster-like structure can be assumed on the basis of our rheological measurements.     

Inorganic-Macroion-Induced Formation of Bicontinuous Block Copolymer Nanocomposites with Enhanced Conductivity and Modulus

A facile and electrostatically driven approach has been developed to prepare bicontinuous polymer nanocomposites that is based on the polyoxometalate (POM) macroion induced phase transition of PS-b-P2VP from an initial lamellar phase to a stable bicontinuous phase. The multi-charged POMs can electrostatically cross-link P2VP blocks and give rise to bicontinuous phases in which the POM hybrid conductive domains occupy a large volume fraction of more than 50 %. Furthermore, the POMs can give rise to high proton conductivity and serve as nanoenhancers, endowing the bicontinuous nanocomposites with a conductivity of 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ and a Young's modulus of 7.4 GPa at room temperature; these values are greater than those of pristine PS-b-P2VP by two orders of magnitude and a factor of 1.8, respectively. This approach can provide a new concept based on electrostatic control to design functional bicontinuous polymer materials.     

Structural evolution in the isotropic channel of a water-nonionic surfactant system that has a disconnected lamellar phase: a 1H NMR self-diffusion study

We showed in a previous study that a water-nonionic surfactant system, where the surfactant is a 9:1 mixture of tetraethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C(10)E(4)) and pentaethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C(10)E(5)), forms a disconnected lamellar (L(α)) phase. Thus, the isotropic phase spans the whole concentration range from the water-rich L(1) region to the surfactant-rich L(2) region of the phase diagram. The L(1) and L(2) regions are connected via an isotropic channel that separates the two regions of the L(α) phase. In this letter, we monitored the structural evolution of the isotropic phase along a path through this isotropic channel via (1)H NMR self-diffusion measurements. We used this technique because it enables us to distinguish between discrete and bicontinuous structures by comparing the relative self-diffusion coefficients (obstruction factors) D/D(0) of the solvents (i.e. of water and surfactant in the present case). We found that the obstruction factor of water decreases whereas the obstruction factor of the surfactant increases with increasing surfactant concentration and increasing temperature. This trend is interpreted as the transition from a water-continuous L(1) region, which contains discrete micelles, to a bicontinuous structure, which may extend to very high surfactant concentrations. Although there is good evidence of bicontinuity over a broad concentration range, there is no evidence of inverse micelles or any other microstructure at the highest concentration studied in the surfactant-rich L(2) phase.     

Inorganic‐Macroion‐Induced Formation of Bicontinuous Block Copolymer Nanocomposites with Enhanced Conductivity and Modulus

A facile and electrostatically driven approach has been developed to prepare bicontinuous polymer nanocomposites that is based on the polyoxometalate (POM) macroion induced phase transition of PS‐b ‐P2VP from an initial lamellar phase to a stable bicontinuous phase. The multi‐charged POMs can electrostatically cross‐link P2VP blocks and give rise to bicontinuous phases in which the POM hybrid conductive domains occupy a large volume fraction of more than 50 %. Furthermore, the POMs can give rise to high proton conductivity and serve as nanoenhancers, endowing the bicontinuous nanocomposites with a conductivity of 0.1 mS cm⁻¹ and a Young's modulus of 7.4 GPa at room temperature; these values are greater than those of pristine PS‐b ‐P2VP by two orders of magnitude and a factor of 1.8, respectively. This approach can provide a new concept based on electrostatic control to design functional bicontinuous polymer materials.     

Nano-structured proton exchange membranes molded by polymerizing bi-continuous microemulsion

A unique type of nano-structured proton exchange membrane (PEM) has been fabricated through photo-polymerizing a bicontinuous microemulsion. This microemulsion is constituted by a polymerizable zwitterionic surfimer 3-((11-acryloyloxyundecyl)imidazoyl)propyl sulfonate (AIPS), 3-sulfopropylmethacrylate, potassium salt (SPM), acrylonitrile and water. As the resulting colloidal system maintains quasi-homogeneous state throughout the polymerization course, the inherent bicontinuous microemulsion structure was successfully transferred to the matrix of the polymer membrane. Such membranes are therefore composed of dual phase channels with ca. 1.5–2 nm of the hydrophilic channel breadth. This particular structural trait imparts to the membranes excellent proton conductivities of up to 10⁻¹ S cm⁻¹ as well as low methanol permeability. The DMFC single cell loaded with the demo PEM manifests ca. 20 mW cm⁻² of power output. The attributes of this PEM are elucidated from the bicontinuous structure of microemulsion.     

丙烯酸酯及苯乙烯微乳体系的相行为及微乳聚合

甲基丙烯酸甲酯;十二烷基磺酸钠;十二烷基磺酸钠;丙烯酸酯及苯乙烯微乳体系的相行为及微乳聚合     

Microemulsions from silicone oil with an anionic/nonionic surfactant mixture

Microemulsion phases have been prepared for the first time from the silicone oil "M(2)" (hexamethyldisiloxane) and a surfactant mixture of a nonionic surfactant "IT 3" (isotridecyltriethyleneglycolether) and an ionic surfactant Ca(DS)(2) (calciumdodecylsulfate). For such a surfactant mixture the hydrophilicity of the system can be tuned by the mixing ratio of the two components. With increasing IT 3 content, the surfactant mixtures show a L(1)-phase, a wide L(α)-region and a narrow L(3) sponge phase. For constant temperature, two single phase channels exist in the microemulsion system. The lower channel (low IT 3 content) ends in the middle of the phase diagram with equal amounts of water and oil, the upper channel begins with the L(3)-phase and passes all the way to the oil phase. Conductivity data show that the upper channel has a bi-continuous morphology up to 40% oil while the lower channel consists of oil droplets in water. In contrast to previous studies on nonionic systems, the two single phase channels are not connected and microemulsions with equal amount of oil and water do not have a bicontinuous structure.     

Phase behavior, self-assembly, and emulsification of tween 80/water mixtures with limonene and perfluoromethyldecalin

The phase behavior, microstructure, and emulsification of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), water, and d-limonene (LM) or perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) has been studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and polarizing optical microscopy. In the Tween 80/water binary system, a micellar solution (L(1)), a hexagonal (H(1)) phase, and a water-swellable isotropic surfactant liquid (L(2)) phase are successively formed at 25 °C. LM can be solubilized into all of the phases formed by Tween 80/water mixtures, whereas no solubilization of PFMD occurs. The L(2) phase was found by small-angle neutron scattering to be bicontinuous with low interfacial curvature. Added water swells and amplifies the pre-existing amphiphilic structure. The stability of oil-in-H(1) complex emulsions is found to be sensitive to changes in structure that accompany solubilization.     

Double percolation effect on the electrical conductivity of conductive particles filled polymer blends

Electrical conductivity of carbon black (CB) filled polymer blends which are incompatible with each other was studied as a function of the polymer's blend ratio. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis shows that CB distributes unevenly in each component of a polymer blend. TEM photographs of phase structure of solvent extracted HDPE/PMMA blend and solvent extraction experiments of PMMA/PP blend detect the blend ratio at which the structural continuity of filler rich phase is formed. The electrical conductivity of polymer blends is found to be determined by two factors. One is the concentration of CB in the filler rich phase and the other is the structural continuity of this phase. This double percolation affects the conductivity of conductive particle filled polymer blends.     

Dynamics in water-AOT-n-decane microemulsions with poly(ethylene glycol) probed by dielectric spectroscopy

Water in oil microemulsions, consisting of water, AOT and n-decane, have been used as a model system to investigate the influence of the water soluble polymer PEO on the dynamical behavior of the system. Therefore dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and conductivity, extracted from dielectric spectroscopy, measurements in a wide frequency and temperature range have been applied. The pure microemulsion displays the known phenomenon of percolation that manifests in a steep increase of conductivity at the percolation temperature $T_\text{P}Water in oil microemulsions, consisting of water, AOT and n-decane, have been used as a model system to investigate the influence of the water soluble polymer PEO on the dynamical behavior of the system. Therefore dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and conductivity, extracted from dielectric spectroscopy, measurements in a wide frequency and temperature range have been applied. The pure microemulsion displays the known phenomenon of percolation that manifests in a steep increase of conductivity at the percolation temperature T_\textPT_\text{P}. The percolation temperature has been found to be strongly dependent on droplet volume fraction and droplet size. The latter additionally shows that percolation temperature and surfactant film rigidity are proportional. Far from percolation water-AOT-n-decane microemulsions display two dielectric relaxations. The slower one has a relaxation time of t ? 3·10^-6 \texts\tau \approx 3\cdot 10^{-6}~\text{s} and can be related to an interfacial polarization at the interface of the water core and the AOT shell (core relaxation). The faster one has a relaxation time of t ? 10^-9 \texts\tau \approx 10^{-9}~\text{s} and can be related to the ions in the AOT shell(shell or cluster relaxation). While the first is mainly untouched by the percolation phenomenon, the latter undergoes a slowdown and an increase of relaxation strength, both over about two decades, on approaching the percolation transition. Addition of PEO tremendously shifts the percolation transition to higher temperatures, due to adsorption at the AOT layer which leads to an increase in rigidity. Furthermore a lower phase boundary temperature evolves, below which the microemulsion phase separates. The conductivity of the microemulsion is also slightly increased with polymer. The effect on the dielectric properties is only small, where dielectric relaxation times are reduced by the polymer, while only the relaxation strength of the faster relaxation is influenced and also decreases with polymer. The decreased relaxation time of core relaxation can be either due to changes in the core to shell volume ratio or an increased conductivity of the water core. The decrease in relaxation time and strength of the shell relaxation suggest that the ion mobility in the shell increase, while the dipole moment is reduced. Additionally we applied a cluster relaxation model proposed by Cametti et al. (Phys Rev Lett 75(3):569, 1995) and Bordi et al. (J Phys, Condens Matter 8:A19, 1996) to estimate the cluster size evolution.     

Interfacial Modification and Structural Transitions Induced by Guest Molecules Solubilized in U‐Type Nonionic Microemulsions

Abstract

Alcohols and polyols are essential components (in addition to the surfactant, water, and oil) in the formation of U‐type self‐assembled nano‐structures, (sometimes called L‐phases or U‐type microemulsions). These microemulsions are characterized by large isotropic regions ranging from the oil side of the phase diagram up to the aqueous corner. The isotropic oily solutions of reverse micelles (“the concentrates”) can be diluted along some dilution lines with aqueous phase to the “direct micelles” corner via a bicontinuous mesophases (i.e., two structural transitions). This dilution takes place with no phase separations or occurrence of liquid crystalline phases. The structural transitions were determined by viscosity, conductivity, and pulsed gradient spin echo NMR (PGSE NMR), and are not visible to the eye. Two guest nutraceutical molecules (lutein and phytosterols) were solubilized, at their maximum solubilization capacity, in the reversed micellar solutions (L₂ phase) and were further diluted with the aqueous phase to the aqueous micellar corner (L₁ phase). Structural transitions (for the two types of molecule) from water‐in‐oil to bicontinuous microstructures were induced by the guest molecules. The transitions occurred at an earlier stage of dilution, at a lower water content (20 wt.% aqueous phase), than in the empty (blank) microemulsions (transitions at 30 wt.% aqueous phase). The transitions from the bicontinuous microstructure to the oil‐in‐water microemulsions were retarded by the solubilizates and occurred at later dilution stage at higher aqueous phase contents (50 wt.% aqueous region for empty microemulsion and >60 wt.% for solubilized microemulsion). As a result, the bicontinuous isotropic region, in the presence of the guest molecules, becomes much broader. It seems that the main reason for such “guest‐induced structural transitions” is related to a significant flattening and enhanced rigidity of the interface. The guest molecules of the high molecular volume are occupying high volume fraction of the interface (when the solubilization is maximal).     

Microregion detection of ionic liquid microemulsions

Nonaqueous ionic liquid (IL) microemulsion consisting of IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bmimBF(4)), surfactant TX-100, and toluene was prepared and the phase behavior of the ternary system was investigated. Electrical conductivity measurement was used for investigating the microregions of the nonaqueous IL microemulsions. On the basis of the percolation theory, the bmimBF(4)-in-toluene (IL/O), bicontinuous, and toluene-in-bmimBF(4) (O/IL) microregions of the microemulsions were successfully identified using insulative toluene as the titration phase. However, this method was invalid when conductive bmimBF(4) acted as the titration phase. The microregions obtained by conductivity measurements were further proved by electrochemical cyclic voltammetry experiments. The results indicated that the conductivity method was feasible for identifying microstructures of the nonaqueous IL microemulsions.     

Formulation and physicochemical characterization of imwitor 308 based self microemulsifying drug delivery systems

Self Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) are a novel alternative to the conventional transdermal delivery systems. SMEDDS are water-free systems, made up of oils and surfactants that can readily form a microemulsion upon dilution within an aqueous medium. Before SMEDDS can be used as a drug delivery system it is necessary to investigate the internal microstructure of the resulting microemulsion. Novel Imwitor 308 based SMEDDS were prepared and investigated. Phase behaviour of the comprising components was investigated through the construction of pseudoternary phase diagrams. The formed systems were characterized using visual inspection, measurement of electrical conductivity, viscosity and droplet size. Amongst the pseudoternary systems investigated, IPM/Cremophor EL (50% w/w)/Imwitor (50% w/w) and Myritol 318/Tween 85 (64% w/w)/ Transcutol P (20% w/w)/Imwitor (16% w/w) possessed the largest microemulsion area. Electrical conductivity and viscosity studies depict structural transitions from w/o microemulsion to bicontinuous or o/w microemulsion around 20-35% water. This was further supported by the droplet size and Fourier transform (FT)-IR measurements. The FT-IR data suggests that below the percolation threshold (ψ(C)) the water molecules are mainly bounded to the surfactant head group (bound water). Above this value, water molecule move to the outer phase of the microemulsion mainly interacting with each other though hydrogen bounding (free water). It was also found that pseudoternary systems with water content of less than 30% were stable at 32°C. Such systems may form stable microemulsion upon contact with the skin. Absorption of water may also result in a supersaturated solution with enhanced transdermal flux.     

Gelled polymerizable microemulsions. 2. Microstructure

Using bicontinuous microemulsions as templates opens a new field for the design of novel structures and thus novel materials, but has significant challenges due to the very small composition and temperature windows in which microemulsions are bicontinuous. In previous work we had shown that we can take a ternary base system (water-n-dodecane--C 13/15E 5), add monomer and cross-linker ( N-isopropylacrylamide and N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide) to the water phase, and add a gelator (12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid) to the oil phase while remaining in the one-phase region of the phase diagram. It was also possible to allow the gelator to form an organogel by changing the temperature such that we crossed the sol--gel line, which fell within the one-phase region. In this work, we show conclusively that addition of the monomers and the gelator does not affect the microemulsion microstructure and that, even in the gelled state, the polymerizable microemulsion is indeed bicontinuous. 1H NMR self-diffusion, conductivity, and small-angle neutron scattering measurements all confirm the bicontinuous nature of the gelled polymerizable microemulsion.     

无表面活性剂微乳液体系：N,N－二甲基甲酰胺/呋喃甲醛/水

通常微乳液一般由四个组分构成：水相、油相、表面活性剂和助表面活性剂。本文报道了一种不含表面活性剂的微乳液体系(简称SFME),由呋喃甲醛(油相),水和N,N－二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)三组分构成,不含传统的表面活性剂。对其相行为进行了研究,发现存在一个单相微乳液区和一个两相平衡区。采用电导率法和冷冻蚀刻电镜(FF-TEM)考察了单相区域中微乳液的微结构,结果表明可分为油包水(O/W)、双连续(BC)和水包油(W/O)三个区域。液滴直径介于40-70nm。     

Synthesis of sponge-like polymer dispersions via polymerization of bicontinuous microemulsions

Polymer gels with high water content are made by polymerization of hydrophilic/hydrophobic monomer mixtures in bicontinuous microemulsions. These structures can be described as a heterophasic, bicontinuous polymer colloid-in-water structure, the characteristic length of which is only indirectly influenced by the original microemulsion mixture.The structure formation and phase changes throughout the polymerization reaction are followed with rheology, polarization microscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that already the very first formed polymer changes disturb the bicontinuous phase structure and nucleate a vesicular phase; with further consumption of the monomer mixture, at least three other phase transitions can be detected, ending with a simple globular surfactant structure.Although direct templating of the original mesomorphous structure does not occur, the existence of the diverse lyotropic phases influences the final structure. It is shown that simple dilution changes the characteristic length of the network elements from about 2 m down to 50 nm. This is explained by a combination of a nucleation-and-growth mechanism with the influence of a restricted colloidal stability in anisometric lyotropic phases.     

Sucrose ester-based biocompatible microemulsions as vehicles for aceclofenac as a model drug: formulation approach using D-optimal mixture design

We assessed the functionality of sucrose esters (sucrose laurate, myristate, palmitate, and stearate), relatively innocuous nonionic surfactants, in formulation of biocompatible microemulsions. The putative influence of surfactant structure on the extension of microemulsion region was explored through the construction of the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams for the isopropyl myristate/sucrose ester-isopropyl alcohol/water system, using the titration method and mixture experimental approach. Minor changes in surfactant tail length strongly affected the microemulsion area boundaries. D-optimal mixture design proved to be highly applicable in detecting the microemulsion regions. Examination of conductivity, rheology, and thermal behavior of the selected sucrose laurate and sucrose myristate-based microemulsions, upon dilution with water, indicated existence of percolation threshold and suggested the phase inversion from water-in-oil to oil-in-water via a bicontinuous structure. Atomic force micrographs confirmed the suggested type of microemulsions and were valuable in further exploring their inner structure. The solubilization capacity of aceclofenac as a model drug has decreased as the water volume fraction in microemulsion increased. High surfactant concentration and the measured solubility of aceclofenac in microemulsion components suggested that the interfacial film may mostly contribute to aceclofenac solubilization.     

Energy balance in dense microemulsions

A water-in-oil microemulsion composed of water, AOT and decane with volume fraction φ=0.50 and molar ratio X=40.8 was analysed by DSC. The percolation and the bicontinuous transitions as well as the melting endotherms and the freezing exotherms were measured. The main attention was focussed on the system energy balance. It was found that, by freezing the samples after the occurrence of the percolative transition, the total heat released is significantly less than the heat absorbed in the melting endotherms. A simple geometrical model was used as an analysis tool of the aforementioned energy difference. Since the system studied exhibits a percolative transition of dynamic type, on approaching the percolation threshold temperature (T≤T _p) and a static percolation for T≥T _p, the structural change from the connecting water-droplet-cluster to a connecting water channel was schematised in the model as a change from a sphere-necklace to a water-cylindrical channel of equal volume and equal length. The surface energy associated with the formation of the two different geometrical surfaces was evaluated and the amount of saved energy compared with the experimentally measured one.     

Structural and rheological investigation of Fd3m inverse micellar cubic phases

In the present study we demonstrate that a bulk inverse micellar cubic phase of Fd3m structure can be obtained by adding a hydrophobic component, such as the food-grade limonene, to the binary system monolinolein/water in a well-defined composition. The Fd3m structure studied in this work had a very slow kinetics of formation, as a consequence of partitioning of water into two types of micelle populations with different sizes. The Fd3m structure formed at a ratio of limonene oil to total lipids of alpha = 0.4 is stable in the bulk up to a maximum hydration of 12.68 wt % water, beyond which it starts to coexist with dispersed water. At full hydration, by combining small-angle X-ray scattering and available topological models, the inverse micellar cubic phase of Fd3m structure was shown to be formed by 16 small micelles and 8 larger micelles per cubic lattice cell (Q227 group), with radii of the micellar polar cores ranging between 1 and 3 nm and 149-168 monolinolein molecules per micelle depending on the water content. The temperature dependence of the structural and rheological properties of the Fd3m mesophase was investigated using SAXS, rheology, and turbidimetry. It appeared that the Fd3m phase underwent crystallization below 18 degrees C and began melting in an inverse microemulsion (L2 phase) coexisting with water above 28.5 degrees C with complete melting obtained at 40-45 degrees C, as evidenced by SAXS and rheology. Macroscopic phase separation between the L2 phase and excess water was observed with time at higher temperatures. The investigation of the viscoelastic properties of the Fd3m inverse discrete micellar cubic phase revealed a rheological signature similar to that of the bicontinuous cubic phases Pn3m and Ia3d observed in homologous binary systems. However, the Fd3m phase presented a complex set of slower relaxation mechanisms leading to a shift by 1 order of magnitude of the dominant relaxation times and whole relaxation spectrum, as compared to those of inverse bicontinuous cubic phases. These findings have been tentatively explained by (i) the multiple relaxation of micelles upon deformation, (ii) the small hydration level of the Fd3m phase, and (iii) the low temperature at which this phase can be observed.     

Phase transition induced bywater dilution in phospholipid U-type food-grade microemulsions studied by DSC

In this study we used differential scanning calorimetry to clarify the role of water activity within the nano-droplets, and to explore phase transitions in novel phospholipids based fully dilutable food-grade microemulsions. The microstructure transitions were investigated along two water dilution lines (50:50 and 80:20 mass% surfactant mixture/oil phase). From the water thermal behavior we learned that three structural regions can be identified along the water dilution lines. The thermal transition points coincide with the structural phase transition of the microemulsions as measured by other methods (electrical conductivity and SD-NMR measurements). The structural transitions were detected at 20 and 45 mass% of water along dilution line 55, where along dilution line 82 it occurs at 40 and 50 mass% of water. The microemulsions along dilution line 82 seem to have more compact surfactant packing film, thus the film has stronger resistance to transformation upon dilution, resulting in a smaller bicontinuous region than the one formed at dilution line 55. The difference in phase transition point can be used for triggering the release of future solubilizate.