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Water-in-water emulsions based on incompatible polymers and stabilized by triblock copolymers-templated polymersomes

Buzza, D. Martin A; Fletcher, Paul D I; Georgiou, Theoni K.; Ghasdian, Negar

Authors

Profile image of Martin Buzza

Dr Martin Buzza D.M.Buzza@hull.ac.uk
Reader in Theoretical & Computational Physics

Paul D I Fletcher

Theoni K. Georgiou

Negar Ghasdian



Abstract

Aqueous solutions containing a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran homopolymers form an aqueous two-phase system which can be emulsified to give a water-in-water emulsion. We show how these emulsions can be stabilized using triblock polymers containing poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PEGMA), poly (n-butyl methacrylate) (BuMA), and poly[2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate] (DMAEMA) blocks of general structure Pp-Bb-Dd, in which the middle BuMA block is hydrophobic. Low-energy input stirring of mixtures containing equal volumes of PEG- and dex-rich aqueous phases plus 1 wt % of Pp-Bb-Dd stabilizer all form dex-in-PEG emulsions (for the range of Pp-Bb-Dd triblock polymers used here) which have a polymersome-like structure. In favorable cases, the emulsion drop (or templated polymersome) sizes are a few micrometers and are stable for periods in excess of 6 months. The emulsions can be inverted from dex-in-PEG to PEG-in-dex by increasing the volume fraction of dex-rich aqueous phase. We demonstrate that both high and low molecular weight fluorescent solutes “self-load” into either the dex- or PEG-rich regions and that solute mass transfer across the water–water interface occurs on a timescale of less than 1 min.

Citation

Buzza, D. M. A., Fletcher, P. D. I., Georgiou, T. K., & Ghasdian, N. (2013). Water-in-water emulsions based on incompatible polymers and stabilized by triblock copolymers-templated polymersomes. Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 29(48), 14804-14814. https://doi.org/10.1021/la403356j

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 2, 2013
Online Publication Date Nov 22, 2013
Publication Date Dec 3, 2013
Deposit Date Jun 27, 2018
Journal Langmuir
Print ISSN 0743-7463
Publisher American Chemical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 29
Issue 48
Pages 14804-14814
DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/la403356j
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/896368
Publisher URL https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/la403356j
Contract Date Jun 27, 2018