Copolymer-stabilized emulsions

A droplet structure, comprising:

• an outer droplet of a first liquid having an outer surface;
• an inner droplet of a second liquid having an inner surface within said first droplet, said second liquid being immiscible in said first liquid, wherein said inner and outer droplets have a film of said first liquid in a boundary surface region therebetween;
• an outer layer of block copolymers disposed on said outer surface of said outer droplet;
• and
• an inner layer of block copolymers disposed on said inner surface of said inner droplet,
• wherein said block copolymers comprise a hydrophilic polymer block and a hydrophobic polymer block that act in combination to stabilize said outer surface of said outer droplet from coalescing with said inner surface of said inner droplet and to stabilize said droplet structure from coalescing with other droplet structures.

A nano-droplet structure, comprising:

• an outer droplet of a first liquid having an outer surface;
• an inner droplet of a second liquid having an inner surface arranged within said first droplet, said second liquid being immiscible in said first liquid, wherein said inner and outer droplets have a film of said first liquid in a boundary surface region therebetween;
• an outer layer of block copolypeptides disposed on said outer surface of said outer droplet;
• and
• an inner layer of block copolypeptides disposed on said inner surface proximate to said boundary surface region between said outer and said inner droplets,
• wherein said block copolypeptides have a structure satisfying the formula KxrLy, K representing L-lysine and rL representing racemic-leucine,
• wherein x is an integer in the range from about 10 to about 200 and y is an integer in the range from about 3 to about 30, and
• wherein said nano-droplet structure has a maximum dimension given by an undeformed outer droplet diameter that is less than about 300 nm and greater than about 10 nm.

An emulsion, comprising:

• a liquid medium;
• and
• a plurality of nano-droplets dispersed within said liquid medium,
• wherein each of said plurality of nano-droplets comprises an inner droplet of a first liquid surrounded by a second liquid, said first liquid being immiscible in said second liquid and said second liquid being immiscible in said liquid medium, and
• wherein said plurality of nano-droplets have an ensemble average undeformed outer droplet diameter of at least about 10 nm and less than about 300 nm.

An emulsion, comprising:

• a substantially continuous liquid medium;
• and
• a plurality of droplet structures dispersed within said substantially continuous liquid medium,
• wherein each droplet structure of said plurality of droplet structures comprises:
• a droplet of a liquid having an outer surface;
• and
• a layer of block copolymers disposed on said outer surface of said droplet,
• wherein said block copolymers comprise a hydrophilic polymer block and a hydrophobic polymer block that act in combination to stabilize said droplet structure, and wherein said liquid of said plurality of droplet structures is immiscible in said substantially continuous liquid medium.

A droplet structure, comprising:

• a droplet of a liquid having an outer surface;
• and
• a layer of block copolymers disposed on said outer surface of said droplet,
• wherein said block copolymers comprise a hydrophilic polymer block and a hydrophobic polymer block that act in combination to stabilize said droplet structure.

A method of producing an emulsion, comprising:

• providing a first liquid and a second liquid, said first liquid being immiscible in said second liquid;
• adding a selected quantity of block copolymers to at least one of said first and second liquids;
• and
• emulsifying said first liquid in said second liquid to produce a plurality of droplets of said first liquid dispersed in said second liquid,
• wherein said block copolymers stabilize said plurality of droplets from coalescing.

A method of producing an emulsion, comprising:

• at least one of adding a surfactant to at least one of a first liquid and a second liquid, or adding surfactant precursors to at least one of said first liquid and said second liquid;
• emulsifying said first liquid in said second liquid to form a plurality of droplets of said first liquid immersed in said second liquid to provide a simple emulsion, said first liquid being immiscible in said second liquid;
• adding at least one of said surfactant or said surfactant precursors to a third liquid;
• and
• emulsifying said simple emulsion in said third liquid to form a plurality of droplets of said simple emulsion to provide a double emulsion, said second liquid being immiscible in said third liquid,
• wherein said plurality of droplets of said double emulsion each comprises at least one droplet of said first liquid therein.