Nanoemulsions Stable against Ostwald Ripening

Abstract

Ostwald ripening, the dominant mechanism of droplet size growth for an O/W nanoemulsion at high surfactant concentrations, depends on micelles in the water phase and high aqueous solubility of oil, especially for spontaneously formed nanoemulsions. In our study, O/W nanoemulsions were formed spontaneously by mixing a water phase with an oil phase containing fatty alcohol polyoxypropylene polyoxyethylene ether (APE). By monitoring periodically the droplet size of the nanoemulsions via dynamic light scattering, we demonstrated that the formed O/W nanoemulsions are stable against Ostwald ripening, i.e., droplet growth. In contrast, the nanoemulsion droplets grew with the addition of micelles, demonstrating the pivotal role of the presence of micelles in the water phase in the occurrence of Ostwald ripening. The influence of the initial phase of APE, the oil or water phase in which APE is present, on the micelle formation is discussed by the partition coefficient and interfacial adsorption of APE between the oil and water phase using a surface and interfacial tensiometer. In addition, the spontaneously formed O/W nanoemulsion, which is stable against Ostwald ripening, can be used as a nanocarrier for the delivery of water-insoluble pesticides. These results provide a novel approach for the preparation of stable nanoemulsions and contribute to elucidating the mechanism of instability of nanoemulsions.