Aging of oil-in-water emulsions: The role of the oil

Sub-micron colloidosomes with tuneable cargo release prepared using epoxy-functional diblock copolymer nanoparticles

HYPOTHESIS

Pickering emulsions stabilized using epoxy-functional block copolymer nanoparticles should enable the formation of sub-micron colloidosomes that are stable with respect to Ostwald ripening and allow tuneable small-molecule cargo release.

EXPERIMENTS

Epoxy-functional diblock copolymer nanoparticles of 24 ± 4 nm were prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in n-dodecane. Sub-micron water-in-n-dodecane Pickering emulsions were prepared by high-pressure microfluidization. The epoxy groups were then ring-opened using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to prepare cross-linked colloidosomes. The colloidosomes survived removal of the aqueous phase using excess solvent. The silica shell thickness could be adjusted from 11 to 23 nm by varying the APTES/GlyMA molar ratio. The long-term stability of the colloidosomes was compared to precursor Pickering emulsions. Finally, the permeability of the colloidosomes was examined by encapsulation and release of a small molecule.

FINDINGS

The Pickering emulsion droplet diameter was reduced from 700 to 200 nm by increasing the salt concentration within the aqueous phase. In the absence of salt, emulsion droplets were unstable due to Ostwald ripening. However, emulsions prepared with 0.5 M NaCl are stable for at least one month. The cross-linked colloidosomes demonstrated much more stable than the precursor sub-micron emulsions prepared without salt. The precursor nanoemulsions exhibited complete release (>99 %) of an encapsulated dye, while higher APTES/GlyMA ratios resulted in much lower dye release, yielding nearly impermeable silica capsules that retained around 95 % of the dye.

Effect of Temperature, Oil Type, and Copolymer Concentration on the Long-Term Stability of Oil-in-Water Pickering Nanoemulsions Prepared Using Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles

A poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) (PGMA) precursor was chain-extended with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) aqueous emulsion polymerization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies confirmed the formation of well-defined PGMA52-PTFEMA50 spherical nanoparticles, while dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies indicated a z-average diameter of 26 ± 6 nm. These sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles were used as emulsifiers to prepare oil-in-water Pickering nanoemulsions: either n-dodecane or squalane was added to an aqueous dispersion of nanoparticles, followed by high-shear homogenization and high-pressure microfluidization. The Pickering nature of such nanoemulsion droplets was confirmed via cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The long-term stability of such Pickering nanoemulsions was evaluated by analytical centrifugation over a four-week period. The n-dodecane droplets grew in size significantly faster than squalane droplets: this is attributed to the higher aqueous solubility of the former oil, which promotes Ostwald ripening. The effect of adding various amounts of squalane to the n-dodecane droplet phase prior to emulsification was also explored. The addition of up to 40% (v/v) squalane led to more stable nanoemulsions, as judged by analytical centrifugation. The nanoparticle adsorption efficiency at the n-dodecane-water interface was assessed by gel permeation chromatography when using nanoparticle concentrations of 4.0, 7.0, or 10% w/w. Increasing the nanoparticle concentration not only produced smaller droplets but also reduced the adsorption efficiency, as confirmed by TEM studies. Furthermore, the effect of varying the nanoparticle concentration (2.5, 5.0, or 10% w/w) on the long-term stability of n-dodecane-in-water Pickering nanoemulsions was explored over a four-week period. Nanoemulsions prepared at higher nanoparticle concentrations were more unstable and exhibited a faster rate of Ostwald ripening. The nanoparticle adsorption efficiency was monitored for an aging nanoemulsion prepared at a copolymer concentration of 2.5% w/w. As the droplets ripened over time, the adsorption efficiency remained constant (∼97%). This suggests that nanoparticles desorbed from the shrinking smaller droplets and then readsorbed onto larger droplets over time. Finally, the effect of temperature on the stability of Pickering nanoemulsions was examined. Storing these Pickering nanoemulsions at elevated temperatures led to faster rates of Ostwald ripening, as expected.

Nanoemulsions Stable against Ostwald Ripening

Ostwald ripening, the dominant mechanism of droplet size growth for an O/W nanoemulsion at high surfactant concentrations, depends on micelles in the water phase and high aqueous solubility of oil, especially for spontaneously formed nanoemulsions. In our study, O/W nanoemulsions were formed spontaneously by mixing a water phase with an oil phase containing fatty alcohol polyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene ether (APE). By monitoring periodically the droplet size of the nanoemulsions via dynamic light scattering, we demonstrated that the formed O/W nanoemulsions are stable against Ostwald ripening, i.e., droplet growth. In contrast, the nanoemulsion droplets grew with the addition of micelles, demonstrating the pivotal role of the presence of micelles in the water phase in the occurrence of Ostwald ripening. The influence of the initial phase of APE, the oil or water phase in which APE is present, on the micelle formation is discussed by the partition coefficient and interfacial adsorption of APE between the oil and water phase using a surface and interfacial tensiometer. In addition, the spontaneously formed O/W nanoemulsion, which is stable against Ostwald ripening, can be used as a nanocarrier for the delivery of water-insoluble pesticides. These results provide a novel approach for the preparation of stable nanoemulsions and contribute to elucidating the mechanism of instability of nanoemulsions.

Long-Term Stability of Pickering Nanoemulsions Prepared Using Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles: Effect of Nanoparticle Core Crosslinking, Oil Type, and the Role Played by Excess Copolymers

A poly(N,N'-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAC) precursor is chain-extended via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) aqueous dispersion polymerization of diacetone acrylamide (PDAAM) to produce PDMAC₇₇-PDAAM₄₀ spherical nanoparticles. Post-polymerization core-crosslinking of such nanoparticles was performed at 20 °C, and the resulting covalently stabilized nanoparticles survive exposure to methanol. The linear and core-crosslinked nanoparticles were subjected to high-shear homogenization in turn in the presence of n-dodecane to form macroemulsions. Subsequent processing of these macroemulsions via high-pressure microfluidization produced nanoemulsions. When using the core crosslinked nanoparticles, the droplet diameter was strongly dependent on the copolymer concentration. This indicates that such nanoparticles remain intact under the processing conditions, leading to formation of genuine Pickering nanoemulsions with a z-average diameter of 244 ± 60 nm. In contrast, the linear nanoparticles undergo disassembly to afford molecularly dissolved diblock copolymer chains, which stabilize oil droplets of 170 ± 59 nm diameter. The long-term stability of these two types of n-dodecane-in-water nanoemulsions with respect to Ostwald ripening was examined using analytical centrifugation. When prepared at the same copolymer concentration, Pickering nanoemulsions stabilized by core-crosslinked nanoparticles proved to be significantly more stable than the nanoemulsion stabilized by the amphiphilic PDMAC₇₇-PDAAM₄₀ chains. Moreover, higher copolymer concentrations led to a significantly faster rate of droplet growth. This is attributed to excess copolymer facilitating the diffusion of n-dodecane through the aqueous phase. Finally, analytical centrifugation is used to assess the long-term stability of the analogous squalane-in-water nanoemulsions. These systems are much more stable than the corresponding n-dodecane-in-water nanoemulsions, regardless of whether the copolymer is adsorbed as sterically stabilized nanoparticles or surface-active chains.

Effect of Salt on the Formation and Stability of Water-in-Oil Pickering Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Diblock Copolymer Nanoparticles

Sterically stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles are prepared in n-dodecane using polymerization-induced self-assembly. Precursor Pickering macroemulsions are then prepared by the addition of water followed by high-shear homogenization. In the absence of any salt, high-pressure microfluidization of such precursor emulsions leads to the formation of relatively large aqueous droplets with DLS measurements indicating a mean diameter of more than 600 nm. However, systemically increasing the salt concentration produces significantly finer droplets after microfluidization, until a limiting diameter of around 250 nm is obtained at 0.11 M NaCl. The mean size of these aqueous droplets can also be tuned by systematically varying the nanoparticle concentration, applied pressure, and the number of passes through the microfluidizer. The mean number of nanoparticles adsorbed onto each aqueous droplet and their packing efficiency are calculated. SAXS studies conducted on a Pickering nanoemulsion prepared using 0.11 M NaCl confirms that the aqueous droplets are coated with a loosely packed monolayer of nanoparticles. The effect of varying the NaCl concentration within the droplets on their initial rate of Ostwald ripening is investigated using DLS. Finally, the long-term stability of these water-in-oil Pickering nanoemulsions is assessed using analytical centrifugation. The rate of droplet ripening can be substantially reduced by using 0.11 M NaCl instead of pure water. However, increasing the salt concentration up to 0.43 M provided no further improvement in the long-term stability of such nanoemulsions.

Diffusion-Controlled Spontaneous Emulsification of Water-Soluble Oils via Micelle Swelling

Spontaneous emulsification of toluene, xylenes, cyclohexane, and mineral oil in a nonionic nonylphenol polyethoxylate surfactant solution was investigated by visual observations coupled with dynamic light scatting measurements and interfacial tensiometry. For water-soluble oils, nanoscale emulsions formed spontaneously by diffusion of oil molecules into the aqueous surfactant solutions and subsequent swelling of surfactant micelles with oil. Micelle swelling rates were quantified to assess system spontaneity, revealing that oil solubility in water was directly correlated to the spontaneity of the emulsion (toluene > xylenes > cyclohexane). When experiments were intentionally designed to create surfactant concentration gradients, Marangoni flows were found to enhance spontaneity. Despite their spontaneous formation, emulsion stability was limited over the course of 40 days by Ostwald ripening followed by creaming and evaporation. These results provide insights on the likelihood of nanoemulsion formation and persistence in oily wastewater as the components in this study are present in many wastewater systems.

Relating emulsion stability to interfacial properties for pharmaceutical emulsions stabilized by Pluronic F68 surfactant

We explore mechanisms of emulsion stability for several systems using Pluronic F68 and a range of oils commonly used in pharmaceutics and cosmetics. We report measurements of dynamic emulsion drop size, zeta potential, and creaming time, as well as dynamic interfacial tension and interfacial viscoelasticity. Experiments show that with 1wt% Pluronic F68, soybean oil emulsions were the most stable with no creaming over six months, followed by isopropyl myristate, octanoic acid, and then ethyl butyrate. The eventual destabilization occurred due to the rising of large drops which formed through Ostwald ripening and coalescence. While Ostwald ripening is important, it is not the dominant destabilization mechanism for the time scale of interest in pharmaceutical emulsions. The more significant destabilization mechanism, coalescence, is reduced through surfactant adsorption, which decreases surface tension, increases surface elasticity, and adds a stearic hindrance to collisions. Though the measured values of elasticity obtained using a standard oscillatory pendant drop method did not correlate to emulsion stability, this is because the frequencies for the measurements were orders of magnitude below those relevant to coalescence in emulsions. However, we show that the high frequency elasticity obtained by fitting the surface tension data to a Langmuir isotherm has very good correlation with the emulsion stability, indicating that the elasticity of the interface plays a key role in stabilizing these pharmaceutical formulations. Further, this study highlights how these important high frequency elasticity values can be easily estimated from surface isotherms.

A novel temperature-responsive micelle for enhancing combination therapy

A novel thermosensitive polymer p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-poly[ethylene glycol] methyl ether acrylate)-block-poly(epsilon-caprolactone), p(NIPAAM-co-PEGMEA)-b-PCL, was synthesized and developed as nanomicelles. The hydrophobic heat shock protein 90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin and the photosensitizer cyanine dye infrared-780 were loaded into the core of the micelles to achieve both chemotherapy and photothermal therapy simultaneously at the tumor site. The release of the drug could be controlled by varying the temperature due to the thermosensitive nature of the micelles. The micelles were less than 200 nm in size, and the drug encapsulation efficiency was >50%. The critical micelle concentrations were small enough to allow micelle stability upon dilution. Data from cell viability and animal experiments indicate that this combination treatment using photothermal therapy with chemotherapy had synergistic effects while decreasing side effects.

Aqueous dispersions of organogel nanoparticles - potential systems for cosmetic and dermo-cosmetic applications

OBJECTIVE

The preparation and physicochemical characterization of organogel nanoparticles dispersed in water have been developed. These systems could be employed as nanocarrier for cosmetic applications or as hydrophobic reservoirs for drug delivery.

METHODS

Gelled particles of organic liquid and 12-hydroxystearic acid (organogelator) were obtained by hot emulsification (T>Tgel), with a surfactant (acetylated glycol stearate) and polymers (sodium hyaluronate and polyvinyl alcohol) as stabilizing agents, and cooling at room temperature (T<Tgel). An organic UVB sunscreen molecule, obtained by microwave activation, was used as a hydrophobic model molecule. The physicochemical properties of the starting organogel (gelation tests; rheological study) and the dispersed gelled particles (rheological study; particle mean size, size distribution, zeta-potential measurements; physical stability evaluation; UVB absorption and water resistance ability) were studied. The synthesis of sunscreen compound using microwave activation was also described.

RESULTS

According to the gelation test results, organogels were obtained with various organic liquids. Vaseline and almond oils were selected as organic medium for the gelled nanoparticle preparation. A preliminary formulation study was carried out in order to determine the optimal experimental conditions to obtain stable nanoparticle dispersions. Gelled nanoparticles contained the sunscreen model molecule, with mean size of 450 nm, polydispersity index of 0.18 and zeta-potential value above -30 mV, were obtained by ultrasound probe homogenization method. A comparative study of their dispersion ageing showed a greatly enhanced stability after gelation. According to the UVB absorption evaluation, gelled particles improved the photoprotective ability and the photostability of immobilized UVB blocker. They showed a high water resistance (~83%) even after 40 min of immersion.

CONCLUSION

The obtained results demonstrate the interest of these gelled nanoparticles and their aqueous dispersion for the preparation of new formulations for cosmetic and dermo-cosmetic applications.

Enhanced solubilization and desorption of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from soil by oil-swollen micelles formed with a nonionic surfactant

The effect of oil-swollen micelles formed with nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), cosurfactant 1-pentanol, and linseed oil on the solubilization and desorption of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) including DDT and γ-HCH from both loam soil and clay soil were investigated. Results showed that the solubilizing capacities of oil-swollen micelles were dependent on the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Tween 80. Once the concentrations of oil-swollen micelles exceeded the CMC of Tween 80, the oil-swollen micelles exhibited much higher solubilizing capacity than empty Tween 80 micelles for the two OCPs. Desorption tests revealed that oil-swollen micelles could successfully enhance desorption of OCPs from both loam soil and clay soil. However, compared with the efficiencies achieved by empty Tween 80 micelles, oil-swollen micelles exhibited their superiority to desorb OCPs only in loam soil-water system while was less effective in clay soil-water system. Distribution of Tween 80, 1-pentanol and linseed oil in soil-water system revealed that the difference in the sorption behavior of linseed oil onto the two soils is responsible for the different effects of oil-swollen micelles on the desorption of OCPs in loam soil and clay soil systems. Therefore, oil-swollen micelles formed with nonionic surfactant Tween 80 are better candidates over empty micelle counterparts to desorb OCPs from soil with relatively lower sorption capacity for oil fraction, which may consequently enhance the availability of OCPs in soil environment during remediation processes of contaminated soil.

How to prepare and stabilize very small nanoemulsions

Practical and theoretical considerations that apply when aiming to formulate by ultrasonication very small nanoemulsions (particle diameter up to 150 nm) with very high stability are presented and discussed. The droplet size evolution during sonication can be described by a monoexponential function of the sonication time, the characteristic time scale depending essentially on the applied power. A unique master curve is obtained when plotting the mean diameter size evolution as a function of sonication energy. We then show that Ostwald ripening remains the main destabilization mechanism whereas coalescence can be easily prevented due to the nanometric size of droplets. The incorporation of "trapped species" within the droplet interior is able to counteract Ostwald ripening, and this concept can be extended to the membrane compartment. We finally clarify that nanoemulsions are not thermodynamically stable systems, even in the case where their composition lies very close to the demixing line of a thermodynamically stable microemulsion domain. However, as exemplified in the present work, nanoemulsion systems can present very long-term kinetic stability.