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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Reverse Microemulsion-mediated Synthesis of Monometallic and Bimetallic Early Transition Metal Carbide and Nitride Nanoparticles
Published on: November 27, 2015
Physiological neutral pH drives a gradual lamellar-to-reverse cubic-to-reverse hexagonal phase transition in
Iris R Ribeiro1, Maira F Immich2, Dan Lundberg3
1Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, Campinas, SP, 13084-970, Brazil.
Abstract:
Dispersed systems of bicontinuous cubic phases, called cubosomes, show a drug release rate faster than those obtained using other liquid-crystalline phases. To minimize side effects associated with the accelerated release of incorporated drugs, compounds may be added in the dispersions to produce systems of slow initial release and then fast release only in the desired action region. This paper addresses the addition of 10.0% (w/w) of decyl betainate chloride (DBC), a cleavable surfactant, into phytantriol/Pluronic-based dispersions to generate lamellar-to-cubic-to-hexagonal phase transitions. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to analyze the mesophases obtained with the addition of DBC and pH variation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the presence of niosomes after the addition of DBC. The niosomes formed in these systems are pH-responsive with lamellar-to-hexosomes transitions at pH ≥ 7.4. The system investigated herein is gastro-resistant presenting potential therapeutic role for controlled release of drugs in neutral or alkaline environments of the organism.
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