Fluorocarbon emulsion stabilizing surfactants
US9012390B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 7, 2007 |
| Grant date | Apr 21, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 9, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC08L2205/05
- WIPO fieldMacromolecular chemistry, polymers
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Surfactants (e.g., fluorosurfactants) for stabilizing aqueous or hydrocarbon droplets in a fluorophilic continuous phase are presented. In some embodiments, fluorosurfactants include a fluorophilic tail soluble in a fluorophilic (e.g., fluorocarbon) continuous phase, and a headgroup soluble in either an aqueous phase or a lipophilic (e.g., hydrocarbon) phase. The combination of a fluorophilic tail and a headgroup may be chosen so as to create a surfactant with a suitable geometry for forming stabilized reverse emulsion droplets having a disperse aqueous or lipophilic phase in a continuous, fluorophilic phase. In some embodiments, the headgroup is preferably non-ionic and can prevent or limit the adsorption of molecules at the interface between the surfactant and the discontinuous phase. This configuration can allow the droplet to serve, for example, as a reaction site for certain chemical and/or biological reactions. In another embodiment, aqueous droplets are stabilized in a fluorocarbon phase at least in part by the electrostatic attraction of two oppositely charged or polar components, one of which is at least partially soluble in the dispersed phase, the other at least partiall…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.