Phase behavior of a nonaqueous ternary microemulsion containing ethylammonium nitrate, TX-100, and cyclohexane

Combination of a protic ionic liquid-like surfactant and biocompatible solvents to generate environmentally friendly anionic reverse micelles

imim–DEHP, a versatile protic IL-like surfactant to formulate aqueous RMs in biocompatible non-polar solvents.

Cholesterol Based Surface Active Ionic Liquid That Can Form Microemulsions and Spontaneous Vesicles

In this article, we have reported the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of a novel l-glycine amino acid derived cholesterol based surface active ionic liquid (SAIL). This SAIL has been explored for the preparation of ionic liquid (IL)-in-oil microemulsions and vesicles. The formation of IL-in-oil microemulsion is characterized by construction of a ternary phase diagram, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) study, fluorescence measurement using coumarin 480 (C-480) as a molecular probe, and also by recording the diffusion behavior of the molecular probe rhodamine 6G (R6G) in microemulsion droplets through the fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) technique. Similarly, the spontaneous vesicle formation from the SAIL in water has been established using DLS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), FCS, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) measurements. These aggregates may potentially serve as good biomimicking models and possible drug carriers.

CO2-Switchable microemulsion based on a pseudogemini surfactant

At present, more and more researchers around the world are paying attention to stimuli-responsive surfactants. In this paper, we have reported a microemulsion prepared from the tertiary amine TMPDA (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine) and the anionic surfactant SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate), which has good carbon dioxide response characteristics. The molar ratio of TMPDA to SDS is 1 : 2. By introducing CO₂ into the microemulsion that consists of SDS, TMPDA, n-hexane, n-butanol and water, the tertiary amine TMPDA molecules can be protonated to form quaternary ammonium species. The protonated tertiary amine TMPDA can be assembled with SDS by electrostatic interactions to form a pseudogemini surfactant (SDS-TMPDA-SDS). The pseudogemini surfactant can dissolve in the aqueous phase which makes the microemulsion break down eventually. By bubbling N₂ after CO₂ into the same system at 50 °C for 3 hours, the pseudogemini surfactant SDS-TMPDA-SDS disintegrates into SDS and TMPDA, respectively. At the same time, the microemulsion also recovers its initial state. Such a reversible transition could be repeated for several cycles from monophase to complete phase separation.

Enhanced stability and water solubilizing capacity of water-in-oil microemulsions based on protic ionic liquids

In view of this limited research on pILs in microemulsions, here we study the formation and characterization of a series of pIL–water/oil microemulsions with specific questions on the effect of pILs on water uptake capacity and thermal stability of W/O microemulsions.

Improvement of the amphiphilic properties of a dialkyl phosphate by creation of a protic ionic liquid-like surfactant

Imim-DEHP, an interesting protic IL-like surfactant to create RMs in aliphatic and aromatic non-polar solvents and unilamellar vesicles in water.