| Description |
This work studied the relationship between surfactant, oil, and water, by building ternary phase diagrams, the goal of which was to identify the oil-in-water phase composition. The resulting nano-sized emulsion was coated with dicalcium phosphate by utilizing the ionic affinity between calcium ions and the emulsion surface. Since the desired function of the particle is as an oxygen carrier, the particle stability, oxygen capacity, and oxygen release rate were investigated. The first step in the process was to construct ternary phase diagrams with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate (DOPA) and soy derived lecithin. The results showed that the lecithin surfactant formed an oil-in-water phase region that was 36 times greater than that of DOPA. With the desired phase composition set, the lecithin emulsion was extruded, resulting in a well-dispersed nanosized particle. A pH titration study of the emulsion found an optimized calcium phosphate coating condition at pH 8.8, at which, the calcium ion had a greater affinity for the emulsion surface than phosphate. A Hill plot was used to show calcium cooperativeness on the emulsion surface which suggested one calcium ion binds to one lecithin molecule. The lecithin emulsion particles were then coated with calcium phosphate using a layering technique that allowed for careful control of the coating thickness. The overall particle hydrodynamic radius was consistent with the growth of the calcium phosphate coating, from 8 nm to 28 nm. This observation was further supported with cryo-TEM measurements. The stability of the coated emulsion was tested in conditions that simulate practical thermal, physical, and time-dependent conditions. Throughout the tests, the coated emulsion exhibited a constant mono-dispersed particle size, while the uncoated emulsion size fluctuated greatly and exhibited increased polydispersion. The fast mixing method with the stopped-flow apparatus was employed to test the product as an oxygen carrier, and it was shown that particles with thicker calcium phosphate coatings released smaller amounts of oxygen in a given timeframe. This study proved the hypothesis by showing a fundamental understanding of emulsion science, coating the flexible emulsion surface with a biocompatible material, and a strong particle performance with regard to stability and as an oxygen carrier. |
