Organogels loaded with reverse micelles have potential for use in transdermal drug delivery applications. The mobile reverse micelles act as payload aggregates for the encapsulation and transport of hydrophilic drug molecules. For such an application, characterization and control of reverse micelle mobility is critical. In this work the organogel is comprised of a selectively solvated poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] (SEBS) triblock copolymer network and the mobile reverse micelles of an amphiphilic surfactant (AOT) capable of forming spherical revere micelles. Transport of reverse micelles within the gel network is a complex process in which the mobility of the reverse micelles is hindered by the tortuosity and hydrodynamic drag of the network. The extent of these effects is primarily dependent on the structural geometry of the gels. For the system described above, factors such as polystyrene crosslink domain size and distance between crosslinks (i.e., effectively gel mesh size) are important considerations. These characteristics can be easily tuned by changing molecular parameters (e.g., molecular weight and block fractions) and composition of the network forming components, therefore, allowing for the design of systems with controlled transport properties. To illustrate the role of microdomain geometry for diffusion in gels, small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and bulk elution methods are employed for organogels of varying molecular parameters. Correlating structure and morphology with transport behavior in reverse micelle loaded organogels will help to inform the development and design of such systems for drug delivery applications.

Investigating the impacts of micrdomain geometry on reverse micelle mobility within organogels

2019 Spring National Meeting

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