Effective pickering emulsifiers based on submicron carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan polymer particles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Colloid and Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Pickering emulsions offer an alternative to traditional emulsions stabilized by surfactants.
• Developing novel, efficient, and stable Pickering stabilizers is crucial for advanced delivery systems.
• Carboxymethyl cellulose and chitosan are biocompatible polymers with potential for particle stabilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan submicron particles.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these particles as stabilizers for oil/water Pickering emulsions.
• To investigate the potential of these Pickering emulsions as a delivery system for the natural alkaloid piperine.

Main Methods:

• Polyelectrolyte self-assembly and isocyanide-based multicomponent reactions for particle synthesis.
• Characterization using nuclear magnetic resonance, FTIR, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy.
• Fabrication of Pickering emulsions via homogenization and sonication, followed by stability testing and piperine encapsulation studies.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized heterogeneous carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan submicron particles (229-378 nm).
• Demonstrated effective stabilization of oil/water Pickering emulsions even at low particle concentrations (0.3 µg/L).
• Achieved high encapsulation efficiency (90.6±0.4%) for piperine with controlled in vitro release.

Conclusions:

• Cross-linked carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan submicron particles are highly effective Pickering stabilizers.
• The resulting Pickering emulsions exhibit excellent stability across various pH, temperature, and ionic strength conditions.
• These particles represent a promising platform for developing advanced, controlled-release delivery systems.