Cross-linking of double oil-in-water-in-oil emulsions: A new way for fragrance encapsulation with tunable sustained release

Abstract

This paper describes a new route to synthesize polymeric capsules with interesting and diverse diffusive and mechanical properties. Such capsules were obtained by free radical cross-linking copolymerization of the intermediate water phase of a double oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) emulsion. Such a strategy allows separating the locus of polymerization from the fragrance- containing compartment. Indeed fragrance molecules are known to be reactive. The encapsulated species, also corresponding to the innermost oil, was a model fragrance composed of more than 10 various molecules usually used in perfumery. In a first step, the double emulsion containing a hydrophilic monomer, either Methacrylamide or Oligo(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate, and a hydrophilic cross-linker, either Tetra(ethyleneglycol) diacrylate or N,N-Methylene-bis-Acrylamide, was formulated. The influence of the cross-linker agent on the feasibility of the double emulsion was examined. Then, in a second part, the polymerization was performed. Four different systems of capsules were developed and compared in terms of diffusive and mechanical properties. We show that changing the monomer /cross-linker couple allowed modulating the capsule properties.