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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery
Published on: September 26, 2025
Ion-responsive behavior of ionic-liquid surfactant aggregates with applications in controlled release and
Yanfei Shen1, Yuanjian Zhang, Daniel Kuehner
1State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry and Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, PR China.
Abstract:
We propose a simple but efficient, rapid, and quantitative ion-responsive micelle system based on counter-anion exchange of a surfactant with an imidazolium unit. The ion-exchange reaction results in the amphiphilic-to-hydrophobic transition of the imidazolium salt, leading to the destruction of the micelles, which has been successfully applied to controlled release and emulsification. The proposed design offers a novel alternative stimulus to control these smart physical aggregates besides pH, temperature and light-with extra advantages. Our finding greatly benefits both fundamental research and industry.
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