title: Sponge Phases and Nanoparticle Dispersions in Aqueous Mixtures of Mono- and Diglycerides.
abstract: The lipid liquid crystalline sponge phase (L3) has the advantages that it is a nanoscopically bicontinuous bilayer network able to accommodate large amounts of water and it is easy to manipulate due to its fluidity. This paper reports on the detailed characterization of L3 phases with water channels large enough to encapsulate bioactive macromolecules such as proteins. The aqueous phase behavior of a novel lipid mixture system, consisting of diglycerol monooleate (DGMO), and a mixture of mono-, di- and triglycerides (Capmul GMO-50) was studied. In addition, sponge-like nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized by Polysorbate 80 (P80) were prepared based on the DGMO/GMO-50 system, and their structure was correlated with the phase behavior of the corresponding bulk system. These NPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), cryo-transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine their size, shape, and inner structure as a function of the DGMO/GMO-50 ratio. In addition, the effect of P80 as stabilizer was investigated. We found that the NPs have aqueous pores with diameters up to 13 nm, similar to the ones in the bulk phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valldeperas
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University , P.O. Box 124, SE-20506 Malmö, Sweden.|Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen , P.O. Box 7803, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiśniewska
authors.forename: Maor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ram-On
authors.forename: Ellina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kesselman
authors.forename: Dganit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Danino
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, Lund University , P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden.|NanoLund, Lund University , P.O. Box 118, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nylander
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University , P.O. Box 124, SE-20506 Malmö, Sweden.|Camurus AB, Ideon Science Park, Gamma Building, Sölvegatan 41, SE-22379 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Justas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barauskas