Phase behavior and nano-emulsion formation by the phase inversion temperature method

Formation of oil-in-water nano-emulsions has been studied in the water/C12E4/isohexadecane system by the phase inversion temperature emulsification method. Emulsification started at the corresponding hydrophilic-lipophilic balance temperature, and then the samples were quickly cooled to 25 degrees C. The influence of phase behavior on nano-emulsion droplet size and stability has been studied. Droplet size was determined by dynamic light scattering, and nano-emulsion stability was assessed, measuring the variation of droplet size as a function of time. The results obtained showed that the smallest droplet sizes were produced in samples where the emulsification started in a bicontinuous microemulsion (D) phase region or in a two-phase region consisting of a microemulsion (D) and a liquid crystalline phase (L(alpha)). Although the breakdown process of nano-emulsions could be attributed to the oil transference from the smaller to the bigger droplets, the increase in instability found with the increase in surfactant concentration may be related to the higher surfactant excess, favoring the oil micellar transport between the emulsion droplets.     

卵磷脂/正丙醇/肉豆蔻酸异丙酯/水微乳体系的相结构研究

以卵磷脂为表面活性剂,正丙醇为助表面活性剂,肉豆蔻酸异丙酯(IPM)为油相,配制成W/O型微乳。并通过浊点法、电导法、动态光散射法(DLS)以及差示扫描量热法(DSC)研究了微乳相结构随含水量的变化。对于选定配比微乳,浊点法在含水量超过10.71%时变浑浊;电导率在含水量达到3.85%之前增长缓慢,之后快速增大,含水量超过10.71%时电导率下降;DLS显示微乳粒径随含水量先减小后增大,其转折点在5.66%,而含水量超过10.71%后粒径突增3个数量级;DSC曲线在含水量超过3.85%后出现水的结晶峰,且随含水量的增大峰位往高温方向平移,同时峰面积增大。当含水量达到11.5%时出现两水峰叠加。研究表明含水量在3.85%~5.66%范围内属于W/O向双连续相转变的过程,而含水量10.71%则是体系发生相分离的临界点。     

The influence of surfactant mixing ratio on nano-emulsion formation by the pit method

The formation of O/W nano-emulsions by the PIT emulsification method in water/mixed nonionic surfactant/oil systems has been studied. The hydrophilic-lipophilic properties of the surfactant were varied by mixing polyoxyethylene 4-lauryl ether (C12E4) and polyoxyethylene 6-lauryl ether (C12E6). Emulsification was performed in samples with constant oil concentration (20 wt%) by fast cooling from the corresponding HLB temperature to 25 degrees C. Nano-emulsions with droplet radius 60-70 nm and 25-30 nm were obtained at total surfactant concentrations of 4 and 8 wt%, respectively. Moreover, droplet size remained practically unchanged, independent of the surfactant mixing ratio, X(C12E6). At 4 wt% surfactant concentration, the polydispersity and instability of nano-emulsions increased with the increase in X(C12E6). However, at 8 wt% surfactant concentration, nano-emulsions with low polydispersity and high stability were obtained in a wide range of surfactant mixing ratios. Phase behavior studies showed that at 4 wt% surfactant concentration, three-liquid phases (W+D+O) coexist at the starting emulsification temperature. Furthermore, the excess oil phase with respect to the microemulsion D-phase increases with the increase in X(C12E6), which could explain the increase in instability. At 8 wt% surfactant concentration, a microemulsion D-phase is present when emulsification starts. The low droplet size and polydispersity and higher stability of these nano-emulsions have been attributed, in addition to the increase in the surface or interfacial activity, to the spontaneous emulsification produced in the microemulsion D-phase.     

Surfactant-free oil/water and bicontinuous microemulsion composed of benzene, ethanol and water

<正>Generally,a microemulsion consists of oil,water,surfactant and sometimes cosurfactant.Herein,we report a novel suffactant-free microemulsion(denoted as SFME) composed of benzene,water and ethanol without the amphiphilic molecular structure of traditional surfactant.The phase behavior of the ternary system was investigated,finding that there were a single-phase region and a two-phase region in ternary phase diagram.The electrical conductivity measurement was employed to investigate the microregion of the single-phase region,and a bicontinuous microregion and a benzene-in-water(O/W) microemulsion microregion were identified,which was confirmed by freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy(FF-TEM) observations.The sizes of the microemulsion droplets are in the range of 20-50 nm.     

Phase behavior of the lecithin/water/isooctane and lecithin/water/decane systems

The isothermal pseudo-ternary-phase diagram was determined at 25 degrees C for systems composed oflecithin, water, and, as oil, either isooctane or decane. This was accomplished by a combination of polarizing microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and NMR techniques. The lecithin-rich region of the phase diagram is dominated by a lamellar liquid-crystalline phase (Lalpha). For lecithin contents less than 60% and low hydration (mole ratio water/lecithin = W0 < 5.5), the system forms a viscous gel of branched cylindrical reverse micelles. With increase in the water content, the system phase separates into two phases, which is either gel in equilibrium with essentially pure isooctane (for lecithin < 25%) or a gel in equilibrium with Lalpha (for lecithin > 25%). These two-phase regions are very thin with respect to water dilution. For 8 < W0 < 54 very stable water-in-oil emulsions form. It is only after ripening for more than 1 year that the large region occupied by the emulsion reveals a complex pattern of stable phases. Moving along water dilution lines, one finds (i) the coexistence of gel, isooctane and Lalpha, (ii) equilibrium between reverse micelles and spherulites, and, finally, (iii) disconnected reverse micelles that fail to solubilize water for W0 > 54. This results in a Winsor II phase equilibrium at low lecithin content, while for lecithin > 20% the neat water is in equilibrium with a reverse hexagonal phase and an isotropic liquid-crystalline phase. The use of the decane as oil does not change the main features of the phase behavior.     

Improved solubilization of Celecoxib in U-type nonionic microemulsions and their structural transitions with progressive aqueous dilution

Celecoxib (clxb) is an important drug for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis by specifically inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Clxb is a type 2 drug characterized by low water solubility (<5 mug/ml) and fast transmembrane transport. The present formulations require high dosage since the transmembrane transport fluctuates and is very difficult to control. Dissolving the drug within an oil phase was not practical since its dissolution was very small and its dispersion in water was impossible. In our recent studies, we learned to construct U-type phase diagrams and to formulate reverse microemulsions (oil-based concentrates) that are progressively and fully dilutable with aqueous phase. In the present study, we solubilized clxb in nanostructures of reverse micelles of U-type nonionic microemulsions that consisted of R(+)-limonene, alcohol, propylene glycol (PG), and hydrophilic surfactant (Tween 60). The solubilization capacity of the drug in these systems is many times higher than in either the oil or the aqueous phase. The clxb solubilized microemulsions are fully diluted with aqueous phase without phase separation. The solubilization capacity decreases as the water content increases. Electrical conductivity, viscosity, and self-diffusion (SD) coefficients of the microemulsion components were measured along a suitable water dilution line. The three major microemulsion regions were detected and the transitions between the W/O to bicontinuous phase and from this phase to the O/W droplets were identified (at 30 and 70 wt% aqueous phase, respectively). From the SD coefficients, it was found that the drug is initially solubilized at the interface of the W/O droplets and there are no significant structural changes. The transition to a bicontinuous phase occurs at the same water content as in the empty (i.e., without drug) system. From the viscosity profiles, we concluded that the drug affects the structure of the bicontinuous phase as reflected in the water content at which the oil-continuous network is destroyed and full inversion occurs (50 vs 55 wt% in the drug-loaded system). Upon further dilution the drug remains solubilized at the interface and is oriented with its hydrophilic part facing the water, and is strongly affects the inversion to O/W droplets. From Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) measurements we learned that the drug effects the structure of microemulsion droplets and forms "ill-defined structures," probably less spherical. Yet, the overall droplet sizes at the high dilutions did not change very much.     

Interfacial tension between microemulsion and excess dispersed phases

Two-phase systems consisting of water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions in equilibrium with excess water and oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions in equilibrium with excess oil have been prepared using the surfactant sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl)sulphosuccinate (AOT) without cosurfactant. The interfacial tension of the planar interface separating the phases for the W/O case is only weakly dependent upon the volume fraction of droplets in the microemulsion phase whereas for the O/W case, the microemulsion droplet size increases and the tension drops as the dispersed volume fraction is increased.     

Phase transitions and microstructure of emulsion systems prepared with acylglycerols/zinc stearate emulsifier

The emulsification processes, during which acylglycerols/zinc stearate emulsifier, water, and oil phase formed ternary systems, such as water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, oil-in-water (O/W) dispersions, and unstable oil-water mixtures, were investigated in order to characterize the progressive transformations of the dispersed systems. The type, structure, and phase transitions of the systems were found to be determined by temperature and water phase content. Crystallization of the emulsifier caused the destabilization and subsequent phase inversion of the emulsions studied, at a temperature of 60-61 degrees C. The observed destabilization was temporary and led, at lower temperature, to W/O emulsions, "O/W + O" systems, or O/W dispersions, depending on the water content. Simultaneous emulsification and cooling of 20-50 wt % water systems resulted in the formation of stable W/O emulsions that contained a number of large water droplets with dispersed oil globules inside them ("W/O + O/W/O"). In water-rich systems (60-80 wt % of water), crystallization of the emulsifier was found to influence the formation of crystalline vesicle structures that coexisted, in the external water phase, with globules of crystallized oil phase. Results of calorimetric, rheological, and light scattering experiments, for the O/W dispersions obtained, indicate the possible transition of a monostearoylglycerol-based alpha-crystalline gel phase to a coagel state, in these multicomponent systems.     

DPD Simulation on the Transformation and Stability of O/W and W/O Microemulsions

The dissipative particle dynamics simulation method is adopted to investigate the microemulsion systems prepared with surfactant (H1T1), oil (O) and water (W), which are expressed by coarse-grained models. Two topologies of O/W and W/O microemulsions are simulated with various oil and water ratios. Inverse W/O microemulsion transform to O/W microemulsion by decreasing the ratio of oil-water from 3:1 to 1:3. The stability of O/W and W/O microemulsion is controlled by shear rate, inorganic salt and the temperature, and the corresponding results are analyzed by the translucent three-dimensional structure, the mean interfacial tension and end-to-end distance of H1T1. The results show that W/O microemulsion is more stable than O/W microemulsion to resist higher inorganic salt concentration, shear rate and temperature. This investigation provides a powerful tool to predict the structure and the stability of various microemulsion systems, which is of great importance to developing new multifunctional microemulsions for multiple applications.     

蒽在SDS/BA/H2O体系中的光谱特征

用紫外-可见吸收光谱和荧光发射光谱研究了蒽在不同组成和结构的十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)/苯甲醇(BA)/H20微乳液中的光谱特征,探讨了微乳液组成和结构对蒽光谱特征的影响,阐述了蒽在微乳液中的定位。结果表明,蒽位于O/W微乳液的膜相和油核;在SDS/BA/H2O W/O微乳液中,蒽定位于油连续相。     

Spectroscopy characterization of anthracene in SDS/BA/H2O system

Spectroscopy characterization of anthracene in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/benzyl alcohol (BA)/water (H(2)O) microemulsion was studied by UV-visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. The impact of the composition and structure of the microemulsion on spectroscopy characterization of anthracene were discussed. At the same time, we indicated the location of anthracene in microemulsion. The results indicated that in O/W microemulsion in SDS/BA/H(2)O system, anthracene exists both in the membrane phase and oil core, while in W/O microemulsion, anthracene exists in the oil continuous phase.     

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.     

Salting-out effect induced by temperature cycling on a water/nonionic surfactant/oil system

This paper presents original effects induced by temperature cycling on the transitional phase inversion of emulsions, stabilized by a nonionic polyethoxylated C18E6 surfactant model. The phase inversion follow-up is performed by electrical conductivity measurements, which involves focusing the study on the shape and location of the emulsion inversion region. In that way, new observations are brought out as a gradual evolution of the emulsion inversion along the cycling process. Two alternative approaches are considered for tackling these results: (i) first, a molecular approach regarding the particular organization and rearrangement of water clusters surrounding the surfactant polymer polar head, and (ii) second, a thermodynamic approach only considering the whole Gibbs free energy of the system. The volumic approaches are transposed, here, to the water/oil interface, and disclose that the phase inversion zone is included in a metastable region, able to stabilize for a given temperature, either metastable O/W emulsions or stable W/O ones. In that way, this study proposes novel and complementary insights into the phenomena governing the emulsion phase inversion.     

Phase behavior of the orange essential oil/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate/water system

The ternary phase diagram for the orange essential oil (OEO)/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/water system was constructed at 25 °C. It indicates a large single phase region, comprising an isotropic water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion (ME) phase (L₂), a liquid crystal (LC) (lamellar or hexagonal) and a large unstable emulsion phase that separates in two phases of normal and reverse micelles (L₁ and L₂). In this communication the properties of the ME are investigated by viscosity, electric conductivity and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) indicating that the isotropic ME phase exhibits different behaviors depending on composition. At low water content low viscous “dry” surfactant structures are formed, whereas at higher water content higher viscous water droplets are formed. The experimental data allow the determination of the transition from “dry” to the water droplet structures within the L₂ phase. SAXS analyses have also been performed for selected LC samples.     

十二烷基磺酸钠微乳状液结构转变的电化学研究

制备了C12H25SO3Na-C4H9OH-C7H16-H2O四组分体系在km=W(C4H9OH)/W(C12H25SO3Na)=2时的拟三元相图。使用二茂铁和铁氰化钾作为电化学探针用循环伏安法测定了起始含油量为21％的无水混合物在滴加水过程中所形成的微太液的扩散系数。从扩散系数随含水量的变化确定微乳液的结构转变。含水量为20％－45％时生成油包水型微液;含水量大于65％时生成水包油型微乳液。当含水量在45％－65％之间时形成的是二连续型微乳液。电导率数据证实了循环伏安法的测定结果。     

Phase inversion of the Pickering emulsions stabilized by plate-shaped clay particles

We investigated the phase inversion of Pickering emulsions stabilized by plate-shaped clay particles. Addition of water induced a phase inversion from a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion to an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion when the amount of the oil phase exceeded a limiting amount of oil absorption to solid particles. On the other hand, a phase inversion from a powdery state to an O/W emulsion state through an oil-separated state is observed when the amount of an oil phase is less than the limiting amount of the oil absorption. Interestingly, the oil separated is re-dispersed as emulsion droplets into the O/W emulsion phase. This type of phase inversion, which is a feature of the Pickering emulsions stabilized by the clay particles, is caused by a change in the aggregate structures of particles.     

Effect of ionic surfactants on the phase behavior and structure of sucrose ester/water/oil systems

The phase behavior and structure of sucrose ester/water/oil systems in the presence of long-chain cosurfactant (monolaurin) and small amounts of ionic surfactants was investigated by phase study and small angle X-ray scattering. In a water/sucrose ester/monolaurin/decane system at 27 degrees C, instead of a three-phase microemulsion, lamellar liquid crystals are formed in the dilute region. Unlike other systems in the presence of alcohol as cosurfactant, the HLB composition does not change with dilution, since monolaurin adsorbs almost completely in the interface. The addition of small amounts of ionic surfactant, regardless of the counterion, increases the solubilization of water in W/O microemulsions. The solubilization on oil in O/W microemulsions is not much affected, but structuring is induced and a viscous isotropic phase is formed. At high ionic surfactant concentrations, the single-phase microemulsion disappears and liquid crystals are favored.     

十二烷基硫酸钠/苯甲醇/水微乳液中吩噻嗪对蒽的荧光猝灭

吩噻嗪与蒽之间可以发生光诱导单电子转移反应. 用荧光光谱仪研究了十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS) / 苯甲醇(BA) / 水微乳液中吩噻嗪对蒽的荧光猝灭.结果表明，在W/O微乳液中，蒽位于苯甲醇连续相，吩噻嗪位于膜相，猝灭反应发生于膜相；而在O/W微乳液中，蒽既可位于油核中，也可位于膜相，吩噻嗪位于膜相，猝灭反应亦发生于膜相.     

Transport properties of alternative fuel microemulsions based on sugar surfactant

Electrical conductivity of fuel microemulsion composed of diesel, pentanol, water, and sucrose laurate as surfactant was investigated over a wide range of water contents varying from 0 to 90?wt% and temperature varying from 10°C to 50°C. Conductivity measurements were performed on samples, the composition of which lie along the one-phase channel using a conductivity meter. Activation energy of conduction flow was evaluated. The hydrodynamic radius as a function of temperature in the aqueous phase-rich region (90?wt%) was measured using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. The microstructure of the microemulsion was further investigated by NMR diffusometry by which the self-diffusion coefficients for water were determined at 25°C. Electrical conductivity increases with water content up to 40?wt% and the percolation threshold was observed, and then stabilizes between 40 and 80?wt% then decreases. Percolation threshold temperature at constant composition was monitored as 36°C for water contents below 80?wt% and as 34°C for water contents above that. As predicted by the conductivity measurements, the determined self-diffusion coefficients of water confirmed the structural transition from discrete W/O droplets to bi-continuous phase and finally to O/W droplet 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。