Quantifying the Influence of Electrolytes on the Kinetics of Spontaneous Emulsification

This study quantifies the influence of electrolytes on the kinetics of the spontaneous emulsification phenomenon (SEP) of heavy hydrocarbons in a nonionic surfactant solution. The rate of emulsifying hexadecane in Triton X-100, with the presence of sodium chloride and potassium chloride, has been measured using a technique of monitoring single oil droplet photography. The emulsion droplet size produced in the process was measured under the same conditions by using dynamic light scattering. The data obtained from the two experiments were employed to investigate the mass transfer coefficient of the surfactant molecules through the intermediate layer formed between hexadecane and the surfactant solution. It was found that the electrolytes in an aqueous solution increase the surfactant diffusion rate through the intermediate layer and reduce the emulsion droplet size. As a result, both electrolytes reduce the rate of spontaneous emulsification, with potassium chloride having a more substantial reduction. A model was developed to quantify the influence of electrolytes on the kinetics of the SEP. The data and modeling results verify the influence of ions on the kinetics of spontaneous emulsification. The results provide a significant foundation for predicting the solubilization of heavy hydrocarbons in an electrolyte solution.

Formation and stability of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil-loaded inverse microemulsion formed by food-grade ingredients and its antioxidant activities

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil (E.u oil) as a functional oil is rich in many natural active components such as α-linolenic acid (56% to 63%), vitamin E, aucubin, and so on. In this study, water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions composed of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil, distilled water, a blend of Sorbitan monooleate 80 (Span 80) and Polysorbate (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), and propylene glycol were prepared for improving the compatibility of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were built to illustrate the phase behavior of the microemulsions, based on hydrophilic-lipophilic balance values, cosurfactant type, the proportion of cosurfactant, and the changing environmental stress. Dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements were performed to characterize the microstructural aspects. The optimum process conditions at which the Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil-loaded microemulsion had good tolerance to pH and salinity were: Propylene glycol served as cosurfactant, water-Propylene glycol, and Span 80-Tween 80 ratios separately kept constant at 1:1 and 6:4. These microemulsions with narrow size distribution, nanoscale particle size (below 60 nm), transparent appearance had a wide range of oil phase content and free-radical scavenging capacity toward DPPH and ABTS radicals with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ ) values of 49.20 and 33.43 mg/mL, respectively. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This nanostructure, environmental stability, and antioxidant activity of microemulsions containing Eucommia ulmoides Oliver seed oil is a potential delivery system as an alternative to α-linolenic acid and can be used for the delivery of peptides, proteins, antioxidants, and water-soluble nutrients.

Formulation and Structural Study of a Biocompatible Water-in-Oil Microemulsion as an Appropriate Enzyme Carrier: The Model Case of Horseradish Peroxidase

A novel biocompatible water-in-oil microemulsion was developed using nonionic surfactants and was investigated as a potential enzyme delivery system for pharmaceutical applications. The system was composed of isopropyl myristate/polysorbate 80 (Tween 80)/distilled monoglycerides/water/propylene glycol (PG), had a low total surfactant concentration (8.3% w/w), and was able to incorporate approximately 3% w/w aqueous phase containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Structural and activity aspects of the system were studied using a variety of techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and dynamic interfacial tension. The apparent hydrodynamic diameter of the empty droplets was calculated at about 37 nm. Different enzyme concentrations, ranging from 0.01 to 1.39 μM, were used for both DLS and EPR studies to effectively determine the localization of the macromolecule in the microemulsion. According to the results, for high enzyme concentrations, a participation of HRP in the surfactant monolayer of the microemulsion is evident. The number of reverse micelles in the microemulsion was defined by a theoretical model and was used to clarify how the enzyme concentration affects the number of empty and loaded reverse micelles. To assure that the system allows the enzyme to retain its catalytic activity, an oxidative reaction catalyzed by HRP was successfully carried out with the use of the model substrate 2,2'-azino-bis[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]. The influence of several parameters such as temperature, pH, and PG concentration was examined to optimize the reaction conditions, and a kinetic study was conducted revealing an ordered-Bi-Bi mechanism. Values of all kinetic parameters were determined. The release of the encapsulated enzyme was studied using an adequate receiver phase, revealing the effectiveness of the proposed microemulsion not only as a microreactor but also as a carrier for therapeutic biomolecules.

Sustained release formulations of citronella oil nanoemulsion using cavitational techniques

Nanoemulsion synthesis has proven to be an effective way for transportation of immobile, insoluble bioactive compounds. Citronella Oil (lemongrass oil), a natural plant extract, can be used as a mosquito repellent and has less harmful effects compared to its available market counterpart DEET (N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide). Nanoemulsion of citronella oil in water was prepared using cavitation-assisted techniques while investigating the effect of system parameters like HLB (Hydrophilic Lipophilic Balance), surfactant concentration, input energy density and mode of power input on emulsion quality. The present work also examines the effect of emulsification on release rate to understand the relationship between droplet size and the release rate. Minimum droplet size (60nm) of the emulsion was obtained at HLB of 14, S/O¹ ratio of 1.0, ultrasound amplitude of 50% and irradiation time of 5min. This study revealed that hydrodynamic cavitation-assisted emulsification is more energy efficient compared to ultrasonic emulsification. It was also found that the release rate of nanoemulsion enhanced as the droplet size of emulsion reduced.

Influence of droplet size on the antioxidant activity of rosemary extract loaded oil-in-water emulsions in mixed systems

The influence of droplet size on the antioxidant activity of oil-in-water emulsions loaded with rosemary extract in mixed emulsion systems was investigated.

Mass transfer of water-insoluble organic compound from octadecylsilyl-silica gel into water in the presence of a nonionic surfactant

The release of perylene from octadecylsilyl (ODS)-silica gel into water using a nonionic surfactant was kinetically studied by single microparticle injection and absorption microspectroscopy techniques. The release of perylene from the porous microparticles significantly depended on the surfactant concentration. The release rate constant was inversely proportional to the microparticle radius; the rate-determining step was the process at the spherical microparticle surface. The mechanism is discussed in terms of the solubilization of perylene at the microparticle surface by the micelle.

Influence of surfactant structure on the contribution of micelles to Ostwald ripening in oil-in-water emulsions

The rate of Ostwald ripening was measured, using light scattering, in 2 wt.% and 10 wt.% decane-in-water and dodecane-in-water emulsions. Sodium dodecyl sulfate and several nonionic ethylene oxide dodecyl ethers--surfactants with tails containing 12 carbons, but with various headgroups--were used to form the emulsions. Emulsions were formed with sufficient quantities of the surfactant to saturate the droplet interfaces. The influence of surfactant micelles in the continuous phase was then explored by adding 1-5 wt.% surfactant to the water. The increase in the average droplet radius in the absence of micelles was found to agree qualitatively with Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner theory for the different surfactant types. The addition of micelles increased the rate of Ostwald ripening, by factors between 2 and 50, depending on the type and concentration of surfactant. However, there was no systematic correspondence between the increased rate and the equilibrium solubilization capacity of the micelles, nor was the rate decreased with increased strength of repulsive interactions between micelle and the droplet interface. It is proposed that the complex influence of surfactant on Ostwald ripening kinetics may depend on the ability of micelles to become supersaturated with oil--i.e., to incorporate solute temporarily above their equilibrium solubilization capacity.

Contribution of molecular pathways in the micellar solubilization of monodisperse emulsion droplets

It is often proposed that oil solubilization in anionic and nonionic micelles proceeds by different mechanisms, with diffusion of the oil molecule thought to control the former, and the latter interfacially controlled. In order to investigate this hypothesis, the effect of aqueous phase viscosity, salt, and surfactant concentration during the solubilization process was studied. The progressive decrease in average droplet size of nearly monodisperse emulsions during solubilization in SDS or Tween 20 micellar solutions was monitored by light scattering, and the change in turbidity was measured by UV-vis spectrophotometer. The solubilization rates were analyzed using a population balance approach to calculate the mass transfer coefficients. Increasing the aqueous viscosity by adding sucrose reduced the mass transfer coefficients of n-tetradecane and n-dodecane but had a smaller effect on n-hexadecane. The strong dependence of the solubilization rate for the shorter chain length alkanes on aqueous viscosity supported a mechanism in which the oil undergoes molecular diffusion before being taken up by micelles. The dependence of the solubilization kinetics on surfactant concentration appeared consistent with this mechanism but yielded a slower micellar uptake rate than previously predicted theoretically. As the solute chain length increased in nonionic surfactant solutions, an interfacial mechanism mediated by micelles appeared to contribute substantially to the overall rate. Addition of salt only slightly increased the solubilization rate of n-hexadecane in SDS solutions and, thus, indicated a weak role of electrostatic interactions for ionic surfactants on the overall mechanism.

Solubilization in monodisperse emulsions

The kinetics of oil solubilization into micelles from nearly monodisperse alkane-in-water emulsion droplets was investigated. Emulsions containing either hexadecane or tetradecane oils were fractionated to be narrowly distributed, using a method developed by Bibette [J. Bibette, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 147 (1991) 474]. These monodisperse emulsions were mixed with SDS or Tween 20 aqueous micellar solutions of various concentrations. Time-dependent solubilization was monitored using light scattering and a decrease in average droplet size over time was observed, in contrast to what has been observed previously with polydisperse emulsions. The rate at which the droplet size decreased was found to be independent of the initial droplet size. Turbidity measurements were also used to track the solubilization kinetics, and a population balance analysis used on both types of measurements to extract effective mass transfer coefficients. The dependence of these transfer coefficients on droplet size, alkane type, surfactant type and concentration provide insights into plausible mechanisms of emulsion droplet solubilization within micellar solutions.

Solubilization rates of oils in surfactant solutions and their relationship to mass transport in emulsions

Information on solubilization rates of oils in aqueous micellar solutions is reviewed. For ionic surfactants electrostatic repulsion prevents close approach of micelles to the oil-water interface, so that solubilization results from oil molecules dissolving individually in the solution and being taken up by micelles during and/or after transport across a diffusion boundary layer to the bulk solution. Experiments with SDS solutions and single oil drops having low (but not negligible) solubility indicate that mass transfer is often not rate-controlling. Instead phenomena near the oil-water interface including, but not limited to, the rates of micellar uptake of oil from the aqueous solution seem to control the solubilization rate. In contrast, Ostwald ripening experiments involving multiple oil drops in SDS solutions are often interpreted in terms of molecular dissolution and diffusion alone since ripening rates are typically only slightly different from those observed in the absence of surfactant micelles, where this mechanism is considered to hold. For many nonionic surfactant systems and oils of low or negligible solubility the principal mechanism of solubilization is incorporation of surfactant at the oil-water interface from micelles, which coalesce or "adsorb" at the interface or else dissociate nearby, permitting individual surfactant molecules to be adsorbed. Subsequently the excess surfactant is emitted as oil-containing micelles. Most experiments have indicated that this process, which appears in the analyses as an interfacial resistance, is rate controlling. New results are presented here supporting this model and showing that resistance to mass transfer is often quite low because natural convection can arise near an oil drop owing to the density change produced by solubilized oil in micelles near the drop surface. Provided that polydispersity of drop sizes is properly accounted for, experiments on solubilization and compositional ripening in emulsions stabilized with nonionic surfactants can be interpreted using the interfacial resistance model with values of resistance obtained from single-drop experiments. However, it is unclear whether mass transfer, interfacial resistance or perhaps some combined mechanism controls the rate of Ostwald ripening. One uncertainty limiting predictions of the interfacial resistance model is the lack of information on the oil-to-surfactant ratio in micelles when the concentration of individually dissolved oil molecules slightly exceeds the equilibrium value for a plane oil-water interface, the situation during Ostwald ripening.

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.

Degradation of kinetically-stable o/w emulsions

This article summarizes the studies on the degradation of the thermodynamically unstable o/w (nano)emulsion--a dispersion of one liquid in another, where each liquid is immiscible, or poorly miscible in the other. Emulsions are unstable exhibiting flocculation, coalescence, creaming and degradation. The physical degradation of emulsions is due to the spontaneous trend toward a minimal interfacial area between the dispersed phase and the dispersion medium. Minimizing the interfacial area is mainly achieved by two mechanisms: first coagulation possibly followed by coalescence and second by Ostwald ripening. Coalescence is often considered as the most important destabilization mechanism leading to coursing of dispersions and can be prevented by a careful choice of stabilizers. The molecular diffusion of solubilizate (Ostwald ripening), however, will continuously occur as soon as curved interfaces are present. Mass transfers in emulsion may be driven not only by differences in droplet curvatures, but also by differences in their compositions. This is observed when two or more chemically different oils are emulsified separately and the resulting emulsions are mixed. Compositional ripening involves the exchange of oil molecules between emulsion droplets with different compositions. The stability of the electrostatically- and sterically-stabilized dispersions can be controlled by the charge of the electrical double layer and the thickness of the droplet surface layer formed by non-ionic emulsifier. In spite of the similarities between electrostatically- and sterically-stabilized emulsions, there are large differences in the partitioning of molecules of ionic and non-ionic emulsifiers between the oil and water phases and the thickness of the interfacial layers at the droplet surface. The thin interfacial layer (the electrical double layer) at the surface of electrostatically stabilized droplets does not create any steric barrier for mass transfer. This may not be true for the thick interfacial layer formed by non-ionic emulsifier. The interactive sterically-stabilized oil droplets, however, can favor the transfer of materials within the intermediate agglomerates. The stability of electrosterically-stabilized emulsion is controlled by the ratio of the thickness of the non-ionic emulsifier adsorption layer (delta) to the thickness of the electrical double layer (kappa(-1)) around the oil droplets (delta/(kappa(-1))) = (deltakappa). The monomer droplet degradation can be somewhat depressed by transformation of coarse emulsions to nano-emulsion (miniemulsion) by intensive homogenization and by the addition of a surface active agent (coemulsifier) or/and a water-insoluble compound (hydrophobe). The addition of hydrophobe (hexadecane) to the dispersed phase significantly retards the rate of ripening. A long chain alcohol (coemulsifier) resulted in a marked improvement in stability, as well, which was attributed to a specific interaction between alcohol and emulsifier and to the alcohols tendency to concentrate at the o/w interface to form stronger interfacial film. The rate of ripening, according to the Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner (LSW) model, is directly proportional to the solubility of the dispersed phase in the dispersion medium. The increased polarity of the dispersed phase (oil) decreases the stability of the emulsion. The molar volume of solubilizate is a further parameter, which influences the stability of emulsion or the transfer of materials through the aqueous phase. The interparticle interaction is expected to favor the transfer of solubilizate located at the interfacial layer. The kinetics of solubilization of non-polar oils by ionic micelles is strongly related to the aqueous solubility of the oil phase (the diffusion approach), whilst their solubilization into non-ionic micelles can be contributed by interparticle collisions.

Formation and properties of miniemulsions formed by microemulsions dilution

Mini-emulsions have been formed in quaternary systems water/hexanol/sodium dodecyl sulfate/decane by dilution of a microemulsion with an excess of water. We have investigated systematically the effect of composition variables in the droplet size and Ostwald Ripening rate. This droplet size has been investigated by using dynamic light scattering of samples submitted to further dilution in water. According to the dynamic light scattering results, the initial droplet size depends on the initial microemulsion water content, the larger the initial water concentration, the smaller the initial droplet size. This is probably related to the structure of the initial phase. The rate of Ostwald Ripening depends on the final surfactant concentration as expected for differences in interfacial tension. At high surfactant and dispersed phase contents, instability due to flocculation has been observed. Other experiments in which a fifth component (a more hydrophobic oil) was added to slow down Ostwald Ripening showed an initial droplet size increasing comparable to the systems without additive but after a relatively long time of approximately 2 h, a decrease was observed.