Particle-stabilized emulsions for drug delivery
Emulsions stabilized by colloidal particles at the oil-water interface, the so-called Pickering emulsions, have demonstrated high potential as drug delivery systems or imaging agents. The beneficial properties of such formulations include high stability, adjustable permeability, improved biocompatibility without the addition of surfactants as well as controlled and targeted release of active substances. We have shown that silica nanoparticles non-covalently modified with chitosan biopolymer effectively stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. These emulsions can solubilize poorly-water soluble drug substances and thus act as oral drug delivery systems. Furthermore, these emulsions are suitable for 3D printing of personalized dosage forms, e.g. minitablets for children.

Johannesson, J., J. Khan, M. Hubert, A. Teleki, and C.A.S. Bergström, “3D-printing of solid lipid tablets from emulsion gels,” Int. J. Pharm. 597, 120304 (2021).
Alison, L., A. Demirörs, E. Tervoort, A. Teleki, J. Vermant, and A.R. Studart, “Emulsions stabilized by chitosan-modified silica nanoparticles: pH control of structure-property relations,” Langmuir 34, 6147-6160 (2018).
Alison, L., P.A. Rühs, E. Tervoort, A. Teleki, M. Zanini, L. Isa, and A.R. Studart, “Pickering and network stabilization of biocompatible emulsions using chitosan-modified silica nanoparticles,” Langmuir 32, 13446-13457 (2016).