title: Structurally Stable Attractive Nanoscale Emulsions with Dipole-Dipole Interaction-Driven Interdrop Percolation.
abstract: This study introduces an extremely stable attractive nanoscale emulsion fluid, in which the amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL), is tightly packed with lecithin, thereby forming a mechanically robust thin-film at the oil-water interface. The molecular association of PEO-b-PCL with lecithin is critical for formation of a tighter and denser molecular assembly at the interface, which is systematically confirmed by T2relaxation and DSC analyses. Moreover, suspension rheology studies also reflect the interdroplet attractions over a wide volume fraction range of the dispersed oil phase; this results in a percolated network of stable drops that exhibit no signs of coalescence or phase separation. This unique rheological behavior is attributed to the dipolar interaction between the phosphorylcholine groups of lecithin and the methoxy end groups of PEO-b-PCL. Finally, the nanoemulsion system significantly enhances transdermal delivery efficiency due to its favorable attraction to the skin, as well as high diffusivity of the nanoscale emulsion drops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bionano Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.|R&D center, Nature in Lab. Inc., Gwangju, 61186, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyounghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Gyeonghyeon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Serim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Bionano Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mintae
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Shinsegae International Co. Ltd., Seoul, 06015, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Sung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Youngbok
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Nieves
authors.affiliation: Department of Bionano Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.|Department of Applied Chemistry, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: attractive nanoemulsions; block copolymers; drop-percolated emulsion; drug delivery; lecithin