Solubilization, Microemulsions and Emulsions

2 Solubilization, Microemulsions and Emulsions. - Micellar solutions with both normal (Li) and reverse (L2) curvature, e.g. o/w and w/o type systems, can be swollen by oil and water to obtain water/oil/amphiphile ternary or pseudoternary systems. These systems have been widely used as solubilizing media for structural investigations of the immobilized solubilizate (a protein for instance), for drug delivery systems, and also for reaction media, (micellar catalysis). Ternary systems based on water, oil, and amphiphile mixtures can form a variety of Li and L2 monophasic regions. When these systems form isotropic solutions spontaneously, they are termed microemulsions. The formation of a microemulsion is related mainly to a substantial decrease of the interfacial tension (Yo/w) at the oil-water interface, due to the amphiphilic molecules located at the polar-apolar interface. This occurs in agreement with the typical equation  

1 Solubilization Media. Many investigations have been reported on the interaction between a solubilizate and a micellar system. Several solubilization media can constitute interesting drug delivery systems. In other cases, solubilization in micelles represents a simplified model for mimicking interactions with biological membranes as an alternative to bicelles, liposomes and PL bilayers. 

Monduzzi, in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance , ed. G.A. Webb, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2004,33, 531 

Caldarelli, in Encyclopedia of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance , ed. D.M. David R.K. Harris, John Wiley Sons, Chichester, 2002,9,291 

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Solubilization, Microemulsions and Emulsions. - Micellar systems are often used as solubilizing media. Both o/w and w/o micellar solutions, having normal... 

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