• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.247-251
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• 2023

Lecithin can self-assemble into reverse spherical micelles in organic solvents due to its amphiphilic properties. With additives such as D-sorbitol and water, the reverse spherical micelles are transformed into reverse cylindrical micelles by the morphology change of lecithin molecules. In this study, the rheological properties of lecithin/D-sorbitol/water mixtures were investigated. In addition, the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique was used to examine the shape and size of the formed nanostructures related to their rheological properties. Such mixtures are expected to be used in drug delivery and oleogels because of their high viscosity and viscoelastic behavior.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.88-92
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• 2024

Lecithin, a type of surfactant, can self-assemble into spherical (or ellipsoidal) reverse micelles in nonpolar organic solvents such as hexane. When a sugar alcohol like D-sorbitol is added to a lecithin solution, the spherical reverse micelles can convert into reverse cylindrical micelles as their length increases in one direction. This transformation can lead to changes in rheological properties, such as an increase in viscosity, when the number and length of the formed reverse cylinders are enough to entangle with each other. Although sugar alcohols have very low solubility in organic solvents, they can dissolve when present with lecithin through hydrogen bonding with the hydrophilic head of lecithin. This study aims to analyze in detail the characteristics of reverse cylindrical micelles and the associated rheological changes in a lecithin and sugar alcohol mixture with the addition of methanol using small angle X-ray scattering and rheological measurements.