Thermoresponsive nanoemulsion-based gel synthesized through a low-energy process

Seyed Meysam Hashemnejad, Abu Zayed Md Badruddoza, Brady Zarket, Carlos Ricardo Castaneda and Patrick S. Doyle ()
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Seyed Meysam Hashemnejad: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abu Zayed Md Badruddoza: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Brady Zarket: L’Oréal Research and Innovation
Carlos Ricardo Castaneda: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Patrick S. Doyle: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Thermoresponsive nanoemulsions find utility in applications ranging from food to pharmaceuticals to consumer products. Prior systems have found limited translation to applications due to cytotoxicity of the compositions and/or difficulties in scaling-up the process. Here, we report a route to thermally gel an oil-in-water nanoemulsion using a small amount of FDA-approved amphiphilic triblock Pluronic copolymers which act as gelling agents. At ambient temperature the suspension displays liquid-like behavior, and quickly becomes an elastic gel at elevated temperatures. We propose a gelation mechanism triggered by synergistic action of thermally-induced adsorption of Pluronic copolymers onto the droplet interface and an increased micelle concentration in the aqueous solution. We demonstrate that the system’s properties can be tuned via many factors and report their rheological properties. The nanoemulsions are prepared using a low-energy process which offers an efficient route to scale-up. The nanoemulsion formulations are well-suited for use in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10749-1

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