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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
Preparation of starch nanoparticles in a water-in-ionic liquid microemulsion system and their drug loading and
Gang Zhou1, Zhigang Luo, Xiong Fu
1Carbohydrate Laboratory, College of Light Industry and Food Science, South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640, China.
Abstract:
An ionic liquid microemulsion consisting of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim]PF₆), surfactant TX-100, 1-butanol, and water was prepared. The water-in-[Bmim]PF₆ (W/IL), bicontinuous, and [Bmim]PF₆-in-water (IL/W) microregions of the microemulsion were identified by conductivity measurements. Starch nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 91.4 nm were synthesized with epichlorohydrin as cross-linker through W/IL microemulsion cross-linking reaction at 50 °C for 4 h. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data demonstrated the formation of cross-linking bonds in starch molecules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that starch nanoparticles were spherical and that some particles showed aggregation formation. Furthermore, drug loading and releasing properties of starch nanoparticles were investigated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride as a drug model. This work provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach for the preparation of starch nanoparticles, which is beneficial to their further application.
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