The effect of emulsifying wax on the physical properties of CTAB-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN)

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cetyl alcohol (CA) and Tween® 60 (polysorbate), the primary components of emulsifying wax, on the size, zeta potential and stability of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) by D-optimal mixture design. A binary CTAB/polysorbate surfactant blend did not offer an advantage over a simple CTAB-stabilized SLN. This led to the conclusion that emulsifying wax could be readily substituted with CA in simple SLNs based on binary CTAB/CA blends. Polysorbate, however, may be added as a co-emulsifier to adjust the physical properties of the nanoparticles, as dictated by the formulator.