Microemulsions, resembling emulsion polymerization, have garnered significant attention for polymerization reactions. These intricate fluids comprise water, a hydrophobic oil, and a surfactant, potentially accompanied by cosurfactants and additives. Among them, starch microemulsion stands out as a biodegradable option suitable for controlled-release or traditional drug delivery systems.
Mechanism of Microemulsion Preparation
Typically, starch microemulsions are crafted as reversed-phase (W/O) systems. The process involves homogeneously dispersing starch in water to create an aqueous solution. Subsequently, an oil phase, consisting of an organic solvent like soybean oil, combined with a surfactant (e.g., Span 60), is prepared. Gradually, the low-concentration starch solution is introduced into the oil phase, forming a stable W/O starch microemulsion. The subsequent addition of a cross-linking agent within the microemulsion initiates a reaction confined to microdroplets, resulting in nanometer-sized cross-linked starch particles.
Starch Microemulsion System Overview
In the starch microemulsion system, starch dissolves in aqueous-phase microdroplets, with a surplus of surfactant beyond the critical micelle concentration. This leads to the formation of reverse-phase micelles in the nanometer size range. During polymerization, a plethora of micelles coexists until the reaction’s completion. Notably, only a fraction of surfactant molecules resides at the polymer interface, while the majority persists as micelles. This setup facilitates continuous particle nucleation, continuing until all monomers are absorbed.
Common Steps in Starch Microemulsion Preparation
Preparing starch microemulsions involves sequential steps: starch solution preparation, oil phase creation, emulsification, cross-linking reaction, and posttreatment.
Factors Influencing Starch Microemulsions
Various factors impact the size and distribution of starch microemulsion particles, including reaction medium, surfactant type and concentration, oil/ethanol ratio, loading time, and initial concentration of the object to be loaded.
- Starch:
- Aqueous starch solutions are formed by dissolving raw starch granules through heat treatment.
- Starch concentration affects particle size and distribution; lower concentrations result in smaller, narrowly distributed nanoparticles.
- Complete starch swelling and dissolution reduce intertwisting, generating smaller cross-linked starch particles.
- Addition of electrolytes like NaOH facilitates starch chain distribution, enhancing microemulsion interface formation for smaller nanoparticles.
- Oil Phase:
- Methylbenzene and chloroform are commonly used in the oil phase.
- Different oil phase compositions impact curcumin-loading efficiencies and particle sizes.
- Surfactant and Cosurfactant:
- Selection of low-hydrophilicity surfactants influences electrolyte sensitivity and microemulsion stability.
- The oil phase volume surpasses the aqueous phase, typically in a ratio of 15/1 to 20/1.
- Emulsification involves adding the aqueous starch phase dropwise to the oil phase with mechanical stirring.
- Cross-linking Reaction:
- Chloromethoxy propane and other cross-linkers are introduced, affecting the particle size of starch microspheres.
- Stirring speed during cross-linking significantly influences particle size.
Methods for Starch Microemulsion Preparation
Several approaches include solvent evaporation, coacervation, emulsion cross-linking, solvent extraction, ionic gelation, interfacial polymerization, and supercritical-assisted atomization.
In summary, the preparation of starch microemulsions is a nuanced process involving meticulous control over various parameters to achieve desired particle sizes and distributions, catering to diverse applications in drug delivery systems and beyond.