Explore the vast range of titles available.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have remarkable properties for delivering therapeutic drugs to the body’s targeted cells. NPs have shown to be significantly more efficient as drug delivery carriers than micron-sized particles, which are quickly eliminated by the immune system. Biopolymer-based polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) are colloidal systems composed of either natural or synthetic polymers and can be synthesized by the direct polymerization of monomers (e.g., emulsion polymerization, surfactant-free emulsion polymerization, mini-emulsion polymerization, micro-emulsion polymerization, and microbial polymerization) or by the dispersion of preformed polymers (e.g., nanoprecipitation, emulsification solvent evaporation, emulsification solvent diffusion, and salting-out). The desired characteristics of NPs and their target applications are determining factors in the choice of method used for their production. This review article aims to shed light on the different methods employed for the production of PNPs and to discuss the effect of experimental parameters on the physicochemical properties of PNPs. Thus, this review highlights specific properties of PNPs that can be tailored to be employed as drug carriers, especially in hospitals for point-of-care diagnostics for targeted therapies.

The formation of droplets is ubiquitous in many natural and industrial processes and has reached an unprecedented level of control with the emergence of milli- and microfluidics. Although important insight into the mechanisms of droplet formation has been gained over the past decades, a sound understanding of the physics underlying this phenomenon and the effect of the fluid’s flow and wetting properties on the droplet size and production rate is still missing, especially for the widely applied method of step emulsification. In this work, we elucidate the physical controls of microdroplet formation in step emulsification by using the wetting of fluidic channels as a tunable parameter to explore a broad set of emulsification conditions. With the help of high-speed measurements, we unequivocally show that the final droplet pinch-off is triggered by a Rayleigh–Plateau-type instability. The droplet size, however, is not determined by the Rayleigh–Plateau breakup, but by the initial wetting regime, where the fluid’s contact angle plays a crucial role. We develop a physical theory for the wetting process, which closely describes our experimental measurements without invoking any free fit parameter. Our theory predicts the initiation of the Rayleigh–Plateau breakup and the transition from dripping to jetting as a function of the fluid’s contact angle. Additionally, the theory solves the conundrum why there is a minimal contact angle of α = 2π/3 = 120° for which droplets can form.

This review provides an overview of major microengineering emulsification techniques for production of monodispersed droplets. The main emphasis has been put on membrane emulsification using Shirasu Porous Glass and microsieve membrane, microchannel emulsification using grooved-type and straight-through microchannel plates, microfluidic junctions and flow focusing microfluidic devices. Microfabrication methods for production of planar and 3D poly(dimethylsiloxane) devices, glass capillary microfluidic devices and single-crystal silicon microchannel array devices have been described including soft lithography, glass capillary pulling and microforging, hot embossing, anisotropic wet etching and deep reactive ion etching. In addition, fabrication methods for SPG and microseive membranes have been outlined, such as spinodal decomposition, reactive ion etching and ultraviolet LIGA (Lithography, Electroplating, and Moulding) process. The most widespread application of micromachined emulsification devices is in the synthesis of monodispersed particles and vesicles, such as polymeric particles, microgels, solid lipid particles, Janus particles, and functional vesicles (liposomes, polymersomes and colloidosomes). Glass capillary microfluidic devices are very suitable for production of core/shell drops of controllable shell thickness and multiple emulsions containing a controlled number of inner droplets and/or inner droplets of two or more distinct phases. Microchannel emulsification is a very promising technique for production of monodispersed droplets with droplet throughputs of up to 100 l h −1 .

Emulsification is a crucial technique for mixing immiscible liquids into droplets in numerous areas ranging from food to medicine to chemical synthesis. Commercial emulsification methods are promising for high production, but suffer from high energy input. Here, we report a very simple and scalable emulsification method that employs the drag-reducing liquid gating structure to create a smooth liquid–liquid interface for the reduction of resistance and tunable generation of droplets with good uniformity. Theoretical modeling and experimental results demonstrate that our method exhibits ultrahigh efficiency, which can reach up to more than 4 orders of magnitude greater energy-saving compared to commercial methods. For temperature-sensitive biological components, such as enzymes, proteins, and bacteria, it can offer a comfortable environment to avoid exposure to high temperatures during emulsifying, and the interface also enables the suppression of fouling. This unique drag-reducing liquid gating interfacial emulsification mechanism promotes the efficiency of droplet generation and provides fresh insight into the innovation of emulsifications that can be applied in many fields, including the food industry, the daily chemical industry, biomedicine, material fabrication, the petrochemical industry, and beyond.

This study investigates the relationship between heavy oil viscosity and emulsification performance during emulsification-based viscosity reduction. Heavy oils with different viscosities were prepared and their emulsification behavior was systematically evaluated using minimum emulsification speed (Rmin), droplet morphology, particle size distribution, water separation rate, and oil–water interfacial tension as key indicators. The results reveal the existence of a critical emulsification viscosity of approximately 3,700 mPa·s under the experimental conditions (60 °C, oil–water ratio 3:7, surfactant concentration 1 wt%). When the viscosity decreases below this threshold, the minimum emulsification speed decreases significantly, the droplet size distribution becomes more uniform, and the emulsion stability improves markedly. Meanwhile, the oil–water interfacial tension decreases to the low interfacial tension regime (<1 mN·m−1), facilitating droplet deformation and breakup during emulsification. Mechanistic analysis indicates that the observed critical viscosity originates from the synergistic effects of viscosity-controlled droplet deformation, surfactant adsorption kinetics at the oil–water interface, and the interfacial films formed by asphaltenes and resins. These findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing emulsification viscosity-reduction systems and defining the applicable viscosity range for heavy oil emulsification technologies.

Purpose: To compare the visual outcomes and residual astigmatism following implantation of Eyecryl toric versus Alcon AcrySof IQ toric intra-ocular lenses (IOLs). Methods: This retrospective, observational study included 143 eyes of 141 patients who underwent phaco-emulsification, followed by implantation of Eyecryl toric IOL (n = 83 eyes) or Alcon toric IOL (n = 60 eyes) in an eye hospital in South India from 2018 to 2021. At 1 month post-op, the uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA), and residual astigmatism of the toric IOL were compared and analyzed. Results: The mean pre-op corneal astigmatism was 2.02 ± 0.81 D and 1.70 ± 0.68 D in the Alcon and Eyecryl groups, respectively (P = 0.005). The mean post-op corneal astigmatism at 1 month was 0.50 ± 0.51 D and 0.36 ± 0.42 D in the Alcon and Eyecryl groups, respectively, with no statistically significant difference between them (P = 0.87). The mean post-op UCVA in logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at 1 month was similar between the groups at 0.17 ± 0.18 and 0.17 ± 0.16 in the Alcon and Eyecryl groups, respectively (P = 0.98). The mean post-op BCVA in logMAR at 1 month was 0.06 ± 0.09 and 0.03 ± 0.10 in the Alcon and Eyecryl groups, respectively (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Both Eyecryl toric and Alcon AcrySof IQ toric IOLs showed comparable post-operative outcomes in terms of UCVA and residual astigmatism. The post-op BCVA was clinically similar between groups but statistically better in the Eyecryl toric group.

With the emergence and spread of global antibiotic resistance and the need for searching safer alternatives, there has been resurgence in exploring the use of bacteriophages in the treatment of bacterial infections referred as phage therapy. Although modern phage therapy has come a long way as demonstrated by numerous efficacy studies but the fact remains that till date, phage therapy has not received regulatory approval for human use (except for compassionate use).Thus, to hit the clinical market, the roadblocks need to be seriously addressed and gaps mended with modern solution based technologies. Nanotechnology represents one such ideal and powerful tool for overcoming the pharmacological barriers (low stability, poor in-vivo retention, targeted delivery, neutralisation by immune system etc.) of administered phage preparations.In literature, there are many review articles on nanotechnology and bacteriophages but these are primarily focussed on highlighting the use of lytic and temperate phages in different fields of nano-medicine such as nanoprobes, nanosensors, cancer diagnostics, cancer cell targeting, drug delivery through phage receptors, phage display etc. Reviews specifically focused on the use of nanotechnology driven techniques strictly to improve phage therapy are however limited. Moreover, these review if present have primarily focussed on discussing encapsulation as a primary method for improving the stability and retention of phage(s) in the body.With new advances made in the field of nanotechnology, approaches extend from mere encapsulation to recently adopted newer strategies. The present review gives a detailed insight into the more recent strategies which include 1) use of lipid based nano-carriers (liposomes, transfersomes etc.) 2) adopting microfluidic based approach, surface modification methods to further enhance the efficiency and stability of phage loaded liposomes 3) Nano- emulsification approach with integration of microfluidics for producing multiple emulsions (suitable for phage cocktails) with unique control over size, shape and drop morphology 4) Phage loaded nanofibers produced by electro-spinning and advanced core shell nanofibers for immediate, biphasic and delayed release systems and 5) Smart release drug delivery platforms that allow superior control over dosing and phage release as and when required. All these new advances are aimed at creating a suitable housing system for therapeutic bacteriophage preparations while targeting the multiple issues of phage therapy i.e., improving phage stability and titers, improving in-vivo retention times, acting as suitable delivery systems for sustained release at target site of infection, improved penetration into biofilms and protection from immune cell attack. The present review thus aims at giving a complete insight into the recent advances (2010 onwards) related to various nanotechnology based approaches to address the issues pertaining to phage therapy. This is essential for improving the overall therapeutic index and success of phage therapy for future clinical approval.

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by in situ formation of oil-in-water emulsion in heavy oil cold production technology has received growing interest from the petroleum industry. We present an experimental study of emulsification of model oils prepared by heavy oil and its functional group compositions dissolved into toluene brought into contact with a surfactant solution. The effects of functional group composition, emulsifier concentration, temperature, pH and stirring speed on the emulsification rate of heavy oil was investigated. A second-order kinetic model characterizing the temporal variation of conductivity during the emulsification has been established. The results show that acidic and amphoteric fractions exhibit higher interfacial activity, larger emulsification rate constant and faster emulsification rate. With the increase of emulsifier concentration, the emulsification rate constant increase to the maximum value at a concentration of 0.05 mol/L before decreasing. Temperature increase benefits the emulsification rate and the activation energy of the emulsification process is 40.28 kJ/mol. Higher pH and stirring speed indicate faster emulsification rate. The heterogeneity of emulsions limits the accuracy of dynamic characterization of the emulsification process and the determination method of emulsification rate has always been controversial. The conductivity method we proposed can effectively evaluates the emulsification kinetics. This paper provides theoretical guidance for an in-depth understanding of the mechanism and application of cold recovery technology for heavy oil.

In this paper, we present a theoretical, experimental and numerical study of the dynamics of cavitation bubbles inside a droplet suspended in another host fluid. On the theoretical side, we provided a modified Rayleigh collapse time and natural frequency for spherical bubbles in our particular context, characterized by the density ratio between the two liquids and the bubble-to-droplet size ratio. Regarding the experimental aspect, experiments were carried out for laser-induced cavitation bubbles inside oil-in-water (O/W) or water-in-oil (W/O) droplets. Two distinct fluid-mixing mechanisms were unveiled in the two systems, respectively. In the case of O/W droplets, a liquid jet emerges around the end of the bubble collapse phase, effectively penetrating the droplet interface. We offer a detailed analysis of the criteria governing jet penetration, involving the standoff parameter and impact velocity of the bubble jet on the droplet surface. Conversely, in the scenario involving W/O droplets, the bubble traverses the droplet interior, inducing global motion and eventually leading to droplet pinch-off when the local Weber number exceeds a critical value. This phenomenon is elucidated through the equilibrium between interfacial and kinetic energies. Lastly, our boundary integral model faithfully reproduces the essential physics of the non-spherical bubble dynamics observed in the experiments. We conduct a parametric study spanning a wide parameter space to investigate bubble–droplet interactions. The insights from this study could serve as a valuable reference for practical applications in the field of ultrasonic emulsification, pharmacy, etc.

Compared with ordinary emulsions, the unique structures endow double emulsions with special functions, which makes them have broad prospects in delivering biologically active substances and replacing fats. In recent years, due to the instability of double emulsions, numerous experiments have been carried out on their preparation technology as well as stabilization methods. This review emphatically summarizes the research progress of double emulsions, including preparation techniques, factors affecting stability, stabilization mechanisms, and related applications. At present, in addition to the traditional mechanical agitation and ultrasonic emulsification, membrane emulsification, phase inversion, and microfluidic emulsification are the main research directions, all of which can improve the stability. Moreover, the stabilizer is also a crucial factor affecting the stability of the double emulsion. Hence, in this article emphasis is placed on surfactants, biopolymers, and solid particles. The applications of double emulsions in food industry can be divided into the following categories: encapsulating substances, controlling the release, and being served as fat substitutes. Furthermore, in the future, the main challenges are to commercialize the double emulsions and enhance their safety in food applications. Additionally, developing high internal phase Pickering double emulsions and O/W/O double emulsions may become the major research trends. In this review, promising and innovative fabrication techniques of double emulsions were elaborated. Surfactants, biopolymers, and solid particles were summarized to enhance the stability of double emulsions. Moreover, various applications of food‐grade double emulsions were reviewed comprehensively.