Device and method for encapsulation of hydrophilic materials
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of Michigan State University
InventorsIlsoon Lee, Shaowen Ji
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Abstract
A process for preparing polymeric composite particles includes the steps of preparing an oil phase containing a biodegradable polymer and a water phase containing a hydrophilic compound or nanoparticle and emulsifying the oil phase in the water phase to form emulsions. Then solvent is removed from the emulsions to prepare the particles in the form of capsules and spheres in sizes from 0.01 μm (10 nm) to 50 μm.
Claims26
A method of encapsulating a hydrophilic ingredient in nano- or micro-particles comprising a hydrophobic biodegradable polymer to make a polymeric composite, the method comprising:
- preparing an organic phase comprising the biodegradable polymer and a solvent;
- preparing a water phase comprising the hydrophilic ingredient, water, and a surfactant;
- combining the organic phase and the water phase in a single step under emulsification conditions that form a W/O/W emulsion, wherein the emulsification conditions include running at a Reynolds number higher than 2300;
- and
- removing the solvent from the W/O/W emulsion to harden the polymeric composites, wherein the solvent is not miscible in water, and wherein the ingredient is more highly soluble in water than in the solvent.
A method of making a nanocomposite comprising cellulose nanowhiskers or cellulose microfibrils and a biodegradable polymer selected from poly(L-lactic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactide-co-glycolide), the method comprising encapsulating the nanowhiskers or microfibrils in the biodegradable polymer using a one-step emulsion process comprising:
- preparing an organic phase comprising the biodegradable polymer and a solvent;
- preparing a water phase comprising the nanowhiskers or microfibrils, water, and a surfactant;
- combining the organic phase and the water phase in a single step under emulsification conditions that form a W/O/W emulsion, wherein the emulsification conditions include running at a Reynolds number higher than 2300;
- and
- removing the solvent from the W/O/W emulsion,
- wherein the solvent is not miscible in water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.