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<p>This study presents a surfactant-free microfluidic method for fabricating polymeric microspheres by utilizing the viscoelastic properties of alginate solutions as the continuous phase. The high-viscosity alginate suppresses droplet coalescence and maintains droplet integrity during flow, enabling stable single emulsions without the use of surfactants. Oil droplets containing photocurable monomers are partially polymerized in situ under UV irradiation and subsequently cured through post-polymerization to form structurally stable microspheres. Flow regime analysis reveals that droplet formation behavior is controllable by adjusting the flow rates of the dispersed and continuous phases, leading to the production of monodisperse particles with a coefficient of variation (C.V.) of 1.3%. The method is compatible with various monomers, including ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA), poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate (PPGDA), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), which forms hydrogel particles after curing. These results demonstrate that viscoelastic stabilization can effectively replace conventional surfactant-based emulsification, offering a biocompatible and broadly applicable platform for precision microsphere fabrication.</p>

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Surfactant-Free Stabilization of Oil Droplets Using a Viscoelastic Continuous Phase for Polymeric Microspheres

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月2日

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  • Hyo-Jin Kim,
  • Chang-Hyung Choi

摘要

This study presents a surfactant-free microfluidic method for fabricating polymeric microspheres by utilizing the viscoelastic properties of alginate solutions as the continuous phase. The high-viscosity alginate suppresses droplet coalescence and maintains droplet integrity during flow, enabling stable single emulsions without the use of surfactants. Oil droplets containing photocurable monomers are partially polymerized in situ under UV irradiation and subsequently cured through post-polymerization to form structurally stable microspheres. Flow regime analysis reveals that droplet formation behavior is controllable by adjusting the flow rates of the dispersed and continuous phases, leading to the production of monodisperse particles with a coefficient of variation (C.V.) of 1.3%. The method is compatible with various monomers, including ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA), poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate (PPGDA), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), which forms hydrogel particles after curing. These results demonstrate that viscoelastic stabilization can effectively replace conventional surfactant-based emulsification, offering a biocompatible and broadly applicable platform for precision microsphere fabrication.