Compositions and methods for forming emulsions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229892-B2
Application number	US-201916284722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for forming droplets and/or emulsions. In some embodiments, the compositions and methods comprise two or more components miscible at a first temperature and immiscible at a second temperature, dispersed in an outer phase.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An emulsion, comprising:
an outer phase; and
a plurality of droplets dispersed within the outer phase of the emulsion, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of droplets comprises two or more components,
wherein each component is different and is selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbon, a fluorocarbon, a silicone, a thermotropic liquid crystal, an ionic liquid, a polymer, and combinations thereof,
wherein the two or more components are miscible at a first temperature such that the two or more components form a single phase within the plurality of droplets, and
wherein the two or more components are immiscible at a second temperature such that the two or more components form a first phase and a second phase within the plurality of droplets.

2. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the two or more components are immiscible with the outer phase at the first temperature and the second temperature.

3. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the second phase is encapsulated within the first phase at the second temperature.

4. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the second phase is partially encapsulated within the first phase at the second temperature.

5. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is greater than the second temperature.

6. The emulsion of claim 5 , wherein the first temperature is greater than an upper consolute temperature of the two or more components.

7. The emulsion of claim 5 , wherein the second temperature is less than an upper consolute temperature of the two or more components.

8. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the two or more components form Janus droplets.

9. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the outer phase is an aqueous phase.

10. The emulsion of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion comprises an amphiphilic compound.

11. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein the amphiphilic compound is selected from the group consisting of: ionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, polymers, proteins, DNA, RNA, acids, carbohydrates, saccharides, enzymes, chromophores, lipids, graphene oxide, combinations thereof, and derivatives thereof.

12. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein the amphiphilic compound comprises a perfluorinated segment or an ethylene glycol segment.

13. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein the amphiphilic compound has a greater miscibility in the outer phase than a miscibility in the two or more components.

14. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein the amphiphilic compound has a greater miscibility in at least one of the two or more components than a miscibility of the amphiphilic compound in the outer phase.

15. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein an interface between the outer phase and the plurality of droplets comprises the amphiphilic compound.

16. The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein an interface between a first component of the two or more components and a second component of the two or more components comprises the amphiphilic compound.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Swager Timothy M
• Blankschtein Edmundo Daniel
• Zarzar Lauren Dell
• Sresht Vishnu
• Sletten Ellen
• Kalow Julia Ann

Classifications

• C09K23/007 Primary

  Organic compounds containing halogen · CPC title

• C08L35/02

  Homopolymers or copolymers of esters (C08L35/06, C08L35/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• C09K23/54

  Silicon compounds · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• C09K23/003

  Organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen · CPC title