Intact NMR Approach Quickly Reveals Synchronized Microstructural Changes in Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsion Formulations.

A soft-core oil-in-water (o/w) nanoemulsion (NE) is composed of nanometer (nm) sized oil droplets, stabilized by a surfactant layer and dispersed in a continuous bulky water phase. Characterization of the o/w NE molecule arrangements non-invasively, particularly the drug phase distribution (DPD) and its correlation to oil globule size (OGS), remains a challenge. Here we demonstrated the analytical methods of intact 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and 1H diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR for their specificity in measuring DPD and OGS, respectively, on three NE formulations containing the active ingredient difluprednate (DFPN) at the same concentration. The results illustrated synchronized molecular rearrangement reflected in the DPD and OGS upon alterations in formulation. Addition of surfactant resulted in a higher DPD in the surfactant layer, and concomitantly smaller OGS. Mechanic perturbation converted most of the NE globules to the smaller thermodynamically stable microemulsion (ME) globules, changing both DPD and OGS to ME phase. These microstructure changes were not observed using 1D 1H NMR; and dynamic light scattering (DLS) was only sensitive to OGS of ME globule in mechanically perturbed formulation. Collectively, the study illustrated the specificity and essential role of intact NMR methods in measuring the critical microstructure attributes of soft-core NE systems quickly, accurately, and non-invasively. Therefore, the selected NMR approach can be a unique diagnostic tool of molecular microstructure or Q3 property in o/w NE formulation development, and quality assurance after manufacture process or excipient component changes.

Optical tuning of copolymer-in-oil tissue-mimicking materials for multispectral photoacoustic imaging.

Objective. The availability of tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) for manufacturing high-quality phantoms is crucial for standardization, evaluating novel quantitative approaches, and clinically translating new imaging modalities, such as photoacoustic imaging (PAI). Recently, a gel comprising the copolymer styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) in mineral oil has shown significant potential as TMM due to its optical and acoustic properties akin to soft tissue. We propose using artists' oil-based inks dissolved and diluted in balsam turpentine to tune the optical properties.Approach. A TMM was fabricated by mixing a SEBS copolymer and mineral oil, supplemented with additives to tune its optical absorption and scattering properties independently. A systematic investigation of the tuning accuracies and relationships between concentrations of oil-based pigments and optical absorption properties of the TMM across visible and near-infrared wavelengths using collimated transmission spectroscopy was conducted. The photoacoustic spectrum of various oil-based inks was studied to analyze the effect of increasing concentration and depth.Main results. Artists' oil-based inks dissolved in turpentine proved effective as additives to tune the optical absorption properties of mineral oil SEBS-gel with high accuracy. The TMMs demonstrated long-term stability and suitability for producing phantoms with desired optical absorption properties for PAI studies.Significance. The findings, including tuning of optical absorption and spectral shape, suggest that this TMM facilitates the development of more sophisticated phantoms of arbitrary shapes. This approach holds promise for advancing the development of PAI, including investigation of the spectral coloring effect. In addition, it can potentially aid in the development and clinical translation of ultrasound optical tomography.

Synthesis of aminopropyl triethoxysilane/melamine incorporated superhydrophilic membranes for simultaneous removal of oil, metals, and Salt ions from produced water.

Water treatment has turned out to be more important in most societies due to the expansion of most economies and to advancement of industrialization. Developing efficient materials and technologies for water treatment is of high interest. Thin film nanocomposite membranes are regarded as the most effective membranes available for salts, hydrocarbon, and environmental pollutants removal. These membranes improve productivity while using less energy than conventional asymmetric membranes. Here, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes have been successfully modified via dip single-step coating by silica-aminopropyl triethoxysilane/trimesic acid/melamine nanocomposite (Si-APTES-TA-MM). The developed membranes were evaluated for separating the emulsified oil/water mixture, the surface wettability of the membrane materials is therefore essential. During the conditioning step, that is when the freshwater was introduced, the prepared membrane reached a flux of about 27.77 L m-2 h-1. However, when the contaminated water was introduced, the flux reached 18 L m-2 h-1, alongside an applied pressure of 400 kPa. Interestingly, during the first 8 h of the filtration test, the membrane showed 90 % rejection for ions including Mg2+, and SO42- and ≈100 % for organic pollutants including pentane, isooctane, toluene, and hexadecane. Also, the membrane showed 98 % rejection for heavy metals including strontium, lead, and cobalt ions. As per the results, the membrane could be recommended as a promising candidate to be used for a mixture of salt ions, hydrocarbons, and mixtures of heavy metals from wastewater.

Demulsification with simultaneous water purification by coupling filtration and enhanced oil droplet coalescence at anode interface in an electrochemical reactor.

With the increasing demand of recycling disposal of industrial wastewater, oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion has been paid much attention in recent years owing to its high oil content. However, due to the presence of surfactant and salt, the emulsion was usually stable with complex physicochemical interfacial properties leading to increased processing difficulty. Herein, a novel flow-through electrode-based demulsification reactor (FEDR) was well designed for the treatment of saline O/W emulsion. In contrast to 53.7% for electrical demulsification only and 80.3% for filtration only, the COD removal efficiency increased to 92.8% under FEDR system. Moreover, the pore size of electrode and the applied voltage were two key factors that governed the FEDR demulsification performance. By observing the morphology of oil droplets deposited layer after different operation conditions and the behavior of oil droplets at the electrode surface under different voltage conditions, the mechanism was proposed that the oil droplets first accumulated on the surface of flow-through electrode by sieving effect, subsequently the gathered oil droplets could further coalesce with the promoting effect of the anode, leading to a high-performing demulsification. This study offers an attractive option of using flow-through electrode to accomplish the oil recovery with simultaneous water purification.

Enhanced removal of nano-oil droplets utilizing polysilicate aluminum ferric (PSAF): Leveraging bridging and non-polar surface advantages.

Hydraulic oil leaks during mechanical maintenance, resulting in flushing wastewater contaminated with dispersed nano-oil droplets. In this study, 75 mg L-1 of polysilicate aluminum ferric (PSAF) was stirred at 350 rpm and the optimal chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 71%. The increase of PSAF led to more hydrolysis of Fe, and 1,175 cm-1 hydroxyl bridged with negative oil droplets. At the same molar concentration, PSAF hydrolyzes cationic metals more rapidly than polymeric aluminum chloride (PAC). PSAF forms flocs of smaller complex structures with greater bridging. The Al-O and Si-O peaks occurred at 611 and 1,138 cm-1, indicating the formation of Si-O-Fe and Si-O-Al bonds on the flocs surface. Higher stirring speeds did not change the free energy of the flocs surface γTot, mainly because the decrease in the van der Waals force (γLW) offset the increase of Lewis acid-base force (γAB). Preserving the non-polar surface, in summary, owing to its bridging abilities and affinity for non-polar surfaces, PSAF demonstrates superior efficiency over PAC in capturing and removing oil droplets.

All-natural polysaccharide and protein complex nanoparticles from Clitocybe squamulosa as unique Pickering stabilizers for oil-in-water emulsions.

This study aimed to develop novel nanoparticles that can serve as an excellent oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering stabilizer. The polysaccharide-protein complex nanoparticles (PPCNs-20 and PPCNs-40) were prepared at different ultrasonication amplitudes (20 % and 40 %, respectively) from the polysaccharide-protein complexes (PPCs) which were extracted from the residue of Clitocybe squamulose. Compared with PPCs and PPCNs-20, the PPCNs-40 exhibited dispersed blade and rod shape, smaller average size, and larger zeta potential, which indicated significant potential in O/W Pickering emulsion stabilizers. Subsequently, PPCNs-40 stabilized Pickering emulsions were characterized at different concentrations, pHs, and oil phase contents. The average size, micromorphology, rheological properties, and storage stability of the emulsions were improved as the concentration of PPCNs-40, the ratio of the soybean oil phase and pH value increased. Pickering emulsions showed the best stability when the concentration of PPCNs-40 was 3 wt%, and the soybean oil fraction was 30 % under both neutral and alkaline conditions. The emulsions demonstrated shear thinning and gelation behavior. These findings have implications for the use of eco-friendly nanoparticles as stabilizers for Pickering emulsions and provide strategies for increasing the added value of C. squamulosa.

Encapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum in W1/O/W2 double emulsions stabilized with the high-intensity ultrasound-treated pea protein and pectin.

This study focuses on developing a water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion system using high-intensity ultrasound (HIU)-treated pea protein isolate (HIU-PPI) and pectin to encapsulate Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum). The effects of ultrasound treatment on pea protein isolate (PPI) characteristics such as solubility, particle size, emulsification, surface hydrophobicity, and surface free sulfhydryl group were examined, determining optimal HIU processing conditions was 400 W for 10 min. The developed W1/O/W2 double emulsion system based on HIU-PPI demonstrated effective encapsulation and protection of L. plantarum, especially at the HIU-PPI concentration of 4 %, achieving an encapsulation efficiency of 52.65 %. Incorporating both HIU-PPI and pectin as emulsifiers increased the particle size and significantly enhanced the emulsion's viscosity. The highest bacterial encapsulation efficiency of the emulsion, 59.94 %, was attained at a HIU to pectin concentration ratio of 3:1. These emulsions effectively encapsulate and protect L. plantarum, with the concentration of HIU-PPI being a critical factor in enhancing probiotic survival under simulated gastrointestinal digestion. However, the concurrent utilization of pectin and HIU-PPI as emulsifiers did not provide a notable advantage compared to the exclusive use of HIU-PPI in enhancing probiotic viability during in vitro simulated digestion. This research offers valuable perspectives for the food industry on harnessing environmentally friendly, plant-based proteins as emulsifiers in probiotic delivery systems. It underscores the potential of HIU-modified pea protein and pectin in developing functional food products that promote the health benefits of probiotics.

MIL-53(Al)-oil/water emulsion composite as an adjuvant promotes immune responses to an inactivated pseudorabies virus vaccine in mice and pigs.

Although vaccination with inactivated vaccines is a popular preventive method against pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection, inactivated vaccines have poor protection efficiency because of their weak immunogenicity. The development of an effective adjuvant is urgently needed to improve the efficacy of inactivated PRV vaccines. In this study, a promising nanocomposite adjuvant named as MIL@A-SW01-C was developed by combining polyacrylic acid-coated metal-organic framework MIL-53(Al) (MIL@A) and squalene (oil)-in-water emulsion (SW01) and then mixing it with a carbomer solution. One part of the MIL@A was loaded onto the oil/water interface of SW01 emulsion via hydrophobic interaction and coordination, while another part was dispersed in the continuous water phase using carbomer. MIL@A-SW01-C showed good biocompatibility, high PRV (antigen)-loading capability, and sustained antigen release. Furthermore, the MIL@A-SW01-C adjuvanted PRV vaccine induced high specific serum antibody titers, increased splenocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion, and a more balanced Th1/Th2 immune response compared with commercial adjuvants, such as alum and biphasic 201. In the mouse challenge experiment, two- and one-shot vaccinations resulted in survival rates of 73.3 % and 86.7 %, respectively. After one-shot vaccination, the host animal pigs were also challenged with wild PRV. A protection rate of 100 % was achieved, which was much higher than that observed with commercial adjuvants. This study not only establishes the superiority of MIL@A-SW01-C composite nanoadjuvant for inactivated PRV vaccine in mice and pigs but also presents an effective method for developing promising nanoadjuvants. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: We have developed a nanocomposite of MIL-53(Al) and oil-in-water emulsion (MIL@A-SW01-C) as a promising adjuvant for the inactivated PRV vaccines. MIL@A-SW01-C has good biocompatibility, high PRV (antigen) loading capability, and prolonged antigen release. The developed nanoadjuvant induced much higher specific IgG antibody titers, increased splenocyte proliferation and cytokine secretion, and a more balanced Th1/Th2 immune response than commercial adjuvants alum and biphasic 201. In mouse challenge experiments, survival rates of 73.3 % and 86.7 % were achieved from two-shot and one-shot vaccinations, respectively. At the same time, a protection rate of 100 % was achieved with the host animal pigs challenged with wild PRV.

Prolonged joint cavity retention of tranexamic acid achieved by a solid-in-oil-in-gel system: A preliminary study.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an anti-fibrinolysis agent widely used in postoperative blood loss management. As a highly water-soluble drug, TXA is suffering from rapid clearance from the action site, therefore, large amount of drug is required when administered either by intravenously or topically. In this study, a TXA preparation with prolonged action site residence was designed using the nano-micro strategy. TXA nanoparticles were dispersed in oil by emulsification followed by lyophilization to give a solid-in-oil suspension, which was used as the oil phase for the preparation of TXA-loaded solid-in-oil-in-water (TXA@S/O/W) system. The particle size of TXA in oil was 207.4 ± 13.50 nm, and the particle size of TXA@S/O/W was 40.5 µm. The emulsion-in-gel system (TXA@S/O/G) was prepared by dispersing TXA@S/O/W in water solution of PLGA-b-PEG-b-PLGA (PPP). And its gelling temperature was determined to be 26.6 ℃ by a rheometer. Sustained drug release was achieved by TXA@S/O/G with 72.85 ± 7.52 % of TXA released at 120 h. Formulation retention at the joint cavity was studied by live imaging, and the fluorescent signals dropped gradually during one week. Drug escape from the injection site via drainage and absorption was investigated by a self-made device and plasma TXA concentration determination, respectively. TXA@S/O/G showed the least drug drainage during test, while more than 70 % of drug was drained in TXA@S/O/W group and TXA solution group. Besides, low yet steady plasma TXA concentration (less than 400 ng/mL) was found after injecting TXA@S/O/G into rat knees at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg, which was much lower than those of TXA dissolved in PPP gel or TXA solution. In conclusion, sustained drug release as well as prolonged action site retention were simultaneously achieved by the designed TXA@S/O/G system. More importantly, due to the steady plasma concentration, this strategy could be further applied to other highly water-soluble drugs with needs on sustained plasma exposure.

Understanding Stabilization of Oil-in-Water Emulsions with Pea Protein─Studies of Structure and Properties.

This study investigates the stability and structure of oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by pea protein. Of the wide range of emulsion compositions explored, a region of stability at a minimum of 5% w/v pea protein and 30-50% v/v oil was determined. This pea protein concentration is more than what is needed to form a layer covering the interface. X-ray scattering revealed a thick, dense protein layer at the interface as well as hydrated protein dispersed in the continuous phase. Shear-thinning behavior was observed, and the high viscosity in combination with the thick protein layer at the interface creates a good stability against creaming and coalescence. Emulsions in a pH range from acidic to neutral were studied, and the overall stability was observed to be broadly similar independently of pH. Size measurements revealed polydisperse protein particles. The emulsion droplets are also very polydisperse. Apart from understanding pea protein-stabilized emulsions in particular, insights are gained about protein stabilization in general. Knowledge of the location and the role of the different components in the pea protein material suggests that properties such as viscosity and stability can be tailored for various applications, including food and nutraceutical products.

Double-drying 3D lamellar-structured aerogel membrane for efficient oil-water separation and long-lasting antibacterial activity.

Conventional oil-water separation membranes are difficult to establish a trade-off between membrane flux and separation efficiency, and often result in serious secondary contamination due to their fouling issue and non-degradability. Herein, a double drying strategy was introduced through a combination of oven-drying and freeze-drying to create a super-wettable and eco-friendly oil-water separating aerogel membrane (TMAdf). Due to the regular nacre-like structures developed in the drying process and the pores formed by freeze-drying, TMAdf aerogel membrane finally develops regularly arranged porous structures. In addition, the aerogel membrane possesses excellent underwater superoleophobicity with a contact angle above 168° and antifouling properties. TMAdf aerogel membrane can effectively separate different kinds of oil-water mixtures and highly emulsified oil-water dispersions under gravity alone, achieving exceptionally high flux (3693 L·m-2·h-1) and efficiency (99 %), while being recyclable. The aerogel membrane also displays stability and universality, making it effective in removing oil droplets from water in corrosive environments such as acids, salts and alkalis. Furthermore, TMAdf aerogel membrane shows long-lasting antibacterial properties (photothermal sterilization up to 6 times) and biodegradability (completely degraded after 50 days in soil). This study presents new ideas and insights for the fabrication of multifunctional membranes for oil-water separation.

Inside-out templating: A strategy to decorate helical carbon nanotubes and 2D MoS2 on ethyl cellulose sponge for enhanced oil adsorption and oil/water separation.

Ethyl cellulose (EC)-based composite sponges were developed for oil spillage treatment. The EC sponge surface was decorated with helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) (1 phr) using the inside-out sugar templating method. The inside surface of a sugar cube was coated with HCNTs and MoS2. After filling the sugar cube pores with EC and the subsequent sugar leaching, the decorating materials presented on the sponge surface. The EC/HCNT/MoS2 sponge had a high level of oil removal based on its adsorption capacity (41.68 g/g), cycled adsorption (∼75-79 %), separation flux efficiency (∼85-95 %), and efficiency in oil/water emulsion separation (92-94 %). The sponge maintained adsorption capacity in acidic, basic, and salty conditions, adsorbed oil under water, and functioned as an oil/water separator in a continuous pump-assisted system. The compressive stress and Young's modulus of the EC sponge increased following its decoration using HCNTs and MoS2. The composite sponge was robust based on cycled compression and was thermally stable up to ∼120 οC. Based on the eco-friendliness of EC, the low loading of HCNTs and MoS2, and sponge versatility, the developed EC/HCNT/MoS2 sponge should be good candidate for use in sustainable oil adsorption and separation applications.

[Determination of fatty acid composition after saponification of common oil pharmaceutical excipients by supercritical fluid-evaporative light scattering method and its application in oil identification].

Oils and fats are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry as solvents, emulsifiers, wetting agents, and dispersants, and are an important category of pharmaceutical excipients. Fatty acids with unique compositions are important components of oil pharmaceutical excipients. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia provides clear descriptions of the fatty acid types and limits suitable for individual oil pharmaceutical excipient. An unqualified fatty acid composition or content may indicate adulteration or deterioration. The fatty acid composition, as a key indicator for the identification and adulteration evaluation of oil pharmaceutical excipients, can directly affect the quality and safety of oil pharmaceutical excipients and preparations. Gas chromatography is the most widely used technique for fatty acid analysis, but it generally requires derivatization, which affects quantitative accuracy. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), an environmentally friendly technique with excellent separation capability, offers an efficient method for detecting fatty acids without derivatization. Unlike other chromatographic methods, SFC does not use nonvolatile solvents (e. g., water) as the mobile phase, rendering it compatible with an evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD) for enhanced detection sensitivity. However, the fatty acids in oil pharmaceutical excipients exist in the free and bound forms, and the low content of free fatty acids in these oil pharmaceutical excipients not only poses challenges for their detection but also complicates the determination of characteristic fatty acid compositions and contents. Moreover, the compositions and ratios of fatty acids are influenced by environmental factors, leading to interconversion between their two forms. In this context, saponification provides a simpler and faster alternative to derivatization. Saponification degrades oils and fats by utilizing the reaction between esters and an alkaline solution, ultimately releasing the corresponding fatty acids. Because this method is more cost effective than derivatization, it is a suitable pretreatment method for the detection of fatty acids in oil pharmaceutical excipients using the SFC-ELSD approach. In this study, we employed SFC-ELSD to simultaneously determine six fatty acids, namely, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, docosanoic acid, and lignoceric acid, in oil pharmaceutical excipients. Saponification of the oil pharmaceutical excipients using sodium hydroxide methanol solution effectively avoided the bias in the determination of fatty acid species and contents caused by the interconversion of fatty acids and esters. The separation of the six fatty acids was achieved within 12 min, with good linearity within their respective mass concentration ranges. The limits of detection and quantification were 5-10 mg/L and 10-25 mg/L, respectively, and the spiked recoveries were 80.93%-111.66%. The method proved to be sensitive, reproducible, and stable, adequately meeting requirements for the analysis of fatty acids in oil pharmaceutical excipients. Finally, the analytical method was successfully applied to the determination of six fatty acids in five types of oil pharmaceutical excipients, namely, corn oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, olive oil, and peanut oil. It can be combined with principal component analysis to accurately differentiate different types of oil pharmaceutical excipients, providing technical support for the rapid identification and quality control of oil pharmaceutical excipients. Thus, the proposed method may potentially be applied to the analysis of complex systems adulterated with oil pharmaceutical excipients.

Nanoliter-Scale Sample Preparation for Single-Cell Proteomic Analysis Using Glass-Oil-Air-Droplet Chip.

Single-cell proteomic analyses are of fundamental importance in order to capture biological heterogeneity within complex cell systems' heterogeneous populations. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is a promising alternative for quantitative single-cell proteomics. Various techniques are continually evolving to address the challenges of limited sample material, detection sensitivity, and throughput constraints. In this chapter, we describe a nanoliter-scale glass-oil-air-droplet (gOAD) chip engineered for heat tolerance, which combines droplet-based microfluidics and shotgun proteomic analysis techniques to enable multistep sample pretreatment.

Insight into oil-water interfacial adsorption of protein particles towards regulating Pickering emulsions: A review.

Over the past decade, Pickering emulsions (PEs) stabilized by protein particles have been the focus of researches. The characteristics of protein particles at the oil-water interface are crucial for stabilizing PEs. The unique adsorption behaviors of protein particles and various modification methods enable oil-water interface to exhibit controllable regulation strategies. However, from the perspective of the interface, studies on the regulation of PEs by the adsorption behaviors of protein particles at oil-water interface are limited. Therefore, this review provides an in-depth study on oil-water interfacial adsorption of protein particles and their regulation on PEs. Specifically, the formation of interfacial layer and effects of their interfacial characteristics on PEs stabilized by protein particles are elaborated. Particularly, complicated behaviors, including adsorption, arrangement and deformation of protein particles at the oil-water interface are the premise of affecting the formation of interfacial layer. Moreover, the particle size, surface charge, shape and wettability greatly affect interfacial adsorption behaviors of protein particles. Importantly, stabilities of protein particles-based PEs also depend on properties of interfacial layers, including interfacial layer thickness and interfacial rheology. This review provides useful insights for the development of PEs stabilized by protein particles based on interfacial design.

Temperature-responsive salt-resistant poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)-based emulsifiers for heavy oils.

The emulsions prepared with most currently reported emulsifiers are stable only at room temperature and are susceptible to demulsification at higher temperatures. This thermal instability prevents their use in high-temperature and high-salt environments encountered oilfield extraction. To address this issue, in this study, two temperature-responsive emulsifiers, PSBMA and CS-PSBMA, were synthesized. Both emulsifiers exhibited the ability to form stable emulsions within the temperature range of 60-80 °C and undergo demulsification at 20-40 °C. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to assess the impact of emulsifier concentration, water-to-oil ratio, and salt ion concentration on the stability of emulsions formed by these two emulsifiers. The results demonstrated their remarkable emulsification capabilities across diverse oil phases. Notably, the novel emulsifier CS-PSBMA, synthesized through the grafting chitosan (CS) onto PSBMA, not only exhibits superior emulsion stability and UCST temperature responsiveness but also significantly enhanced the salt resistance of the emulsion. Remarkably, the emulsion maintained its stability even in the presence of monovalent salt ions at concentrations up to 2 mol/L (equivalent to a mineralization level of 1.33 × 105 mg/L in water) and divalent salt ions at concentrations up to 3 mol/L (equivalent to a mineralization level of 2.7 × 105 mg/L in water). The emulsions stabilized by both emulsifiers are resilient to harsh reservoir conditions and effectively emulsify heavy oils, enabling high-temperature emulsification and low-temperature demulsification. These attributes indicate their promising potential for industrial applications, particularly in the field of enhanced oil recovery.

A strategy to build a library of oil tracers by oleophilic silica-encapsulated DNA nanoparticles.

Artificially synthesized DNA is involved in the construction of a library of oil tracers due to their unlimited number and no-biological toxicity. The strategy of the construction is proposed by oleophilic Silica-encapsulated DNA nanoparticles, which offers fresh thinking in developing novel tracers, sensors, and molecular machines in engineering & applied sciences based on artificially synthesized DNA blocks.

Different interfaces for stabilizing liquid-liquid, liquid-gel and gel-gel emulsions: Design, comparison, and challenges.

Interfaces play essential roles in the stability and functions of emulsion systems. The quick development of novel emulsion systems (e.g., water-water emulsions, water-oleogel emulsions, hydrogel-oleogel emulsions) has brought great progress in interfacial engineering. These new interfaces, which are different from the traditional water-oil interfaces, and are also different from each other, have widened the applications of food emulsions, and also brought in challenges to stabilize the emulsions. We presented a comprehensive summary of various structured interfaces (stabilized by mixed-layers, multilayers, particles, nanodroplets, microgels etc.), and their characteristics, and designing strategies. We also discussed the applicability of these interfaces in stabilizing liquid-liquid (water-oil, water-water, oil-oil, alcohol-oil, etc.), liquid-gel, and gel-gel emulsion systems. Challenges and future research aspects were also proposed regarding interfacial engineering for different emulsions. Emulsions are interface-dominated materials, and the interfaces have dynamic natures, as the compositions and structures are not constant. Biopolymers, particles, nanodroplets, and microgels differed in their capacity to get absorbed onto the interface, to adjust their structures at the interface, to lower interfacial tension, and to stabilize different emulsions. The interactions between the interface and the bulk phases not only affected the properties of the interface, but also the two phases, leading to different functions of the emulsions. These structured interfaces have been used individually or cooperatively to achieve effective stabilization or better applications of different emulsion systems. However, dynamic changes of the interface during digestion are only poorly understood, and it is still challenging to fully characterize the interfaces.

A Spatially Stable Crystal-Particle Gel to Trap Patchouli Oil for Efficient Colonic Drug Delivery.

Patchouli oil has exhibited remarkable efficacy in the treatment of colitis. However, its volatility and potential irritancy are often drawbacks when extensively used in clinical applications. Oil gel is a semisolid and thermoreversible system that has received extensive interest for its solubility enhancement, inhibition of bioactive component recrystallization, and the facilitation of controlled bioactive release. Therefore, we present a strategy to develop an oil gel formulation that addresses this multifaceted problem. Notably, a patchouli oil gel formulation was designed to solidify and trap patchouli oil into a spatially stable crystal-particle structure and colonic released delivery, which has an advantage of the stable structure and viscosity. The patchouli oil gel treatment of zebrafish with colitis improved goblet cells and decreased macrophages. Additionally, patchouli oil gel showed superior advantages for restoring the tissue barrier. Furthermore, our investigative efforts unveiled patchouli oil's influence on TRP channels, providing evidence for its potential role in mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action. While the journey continues, these preliminary revelations provide a robust foundation for considering the adoption of patchouli oil gel as a pragmatic intervention for managing colitis.

A multifunctional Ag NPs/guar gum hydrogel as versatile platform for catalysts, antibacterial agents, and construction of oil-water separation interfaces.

The frequently encountered wastewater contaminations, including soluble aromatic compound and dye pollutants, pathogenic bacteria, and insoluble oils, have resulted in significant environmental and human health issues. It poses a challenge to utilize identical materials for the treatment of complex wastewater. Herein, in this research, multifunctional Ag NPs/guar gum hybrid hydrogels were fabricated using a facile in situ reduction and self-crosslinking method for efficient remediation of complex wastewater. The Ag NPs/guar gum hybrid hydrogel showed remarkable remodeling, adhesive, and self-healing characteristics, which was favorable for its versatile applications. The combination of Ag NPs with the guar gum skeleton endowed the hybrid hydrogel with exceptional catalytic activity for reducing aromatic compounds and dye pollutants, as well as remarkable antibacterial efficacy against pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the Ag NPs/guar gum hybrid hydrogel could be employed to coat a variety of substrates, including cotton fabrics and stainless steel meshes. The hydrogel coated cotton fabrics and meshes presented superhydrophilicity/underwater superoleophobicity, excellent antifouling capacity, and outstanding recyclability, which could be successfully applied for efficient separation of oil-water mixtures. The findings of this work provide a feasible and cost-effective approach for the remediation of intricate wastewater.