Abstract
The solubilisation of methylparaben (MP), an antimicrobial agent used as a food preservative and in cosmetics and personal-care products, in two poloxamines of different Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB), namely Tetronic® 904 (T904) and 1107 (T1107), has been studied. The influence of the preservative on the aggregation behaviour of both Tetronics has been analysed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), while the precise location of the molecule in the aggregates as well as the effects of the micellar solubilisation on the reactivity of the preservative have been elucidated by NMR and UV spectroscopies. The presence of MP reduces the critical micelle temperature (CMT) of any of the poloxamines and induces the formation of larger micelles at room temperature compared to the plain poloxamines; in addition, a remarkable temperature dependent effect on the structure of the micelles has been detected, which progressively evolve from core-shell spheres to rods as the temperature increases. The incorporation of the preservative into the micelles modifies its reactivity against alkaline hydrolysis, resulting in a decrease of its reaction rate constant in which the dominant factor for the reduction in the hydrolysis rate is the incorporation into the micelle core, with a little effect of the length of the hydrophilic polyethylene oxide (PEO) blocks.
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