Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of lecithin-based microemulsions: influence of monoalkylphosphates.

The formation of macroscopically homogeneous, stable, fluid, optically transparent, isotropic solutions (microemulsions) was delineated, at 25 degrees C, for systems containing water, soybean lecithin, sodium monoalkylphosphate (hexyl or ocytl), alcohol and isopropyl myristate. Six straight or branched alcohols (1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol, 3-pentanol) were investigated as co-surfactants. A constant lecithin/alcohol mixing ratio was used, while the aqueous phase consisted of a solution of alkylphosphates at different concentrations. An increase of the microemulsion domain was seen by increasing the concentration of the alkylphosphate. With 0.2m hexylphosphate, as aqueous phase, the microemulsion domain consisted of a single, region, that, in the presence of butylic alcohols, spanded the greater portion of the phase diagram. In the presence of amyl alcohols the area of this region was much smaller. With 0.2 m octylphosphate the realm of existence of the microemulsions, except for 1-pentanol, consisted of two regions separated by a liquid-crystal region. With all the alcohols examined, the liquid-crystal phase solubilized a larger amount of oil in the presence of octylphosphate than in the presence of hexylphosphate. The stability ranges of microemulsions in systems containing soybean, lecithin, alcohol, water, and isopropyl myristate can be greatly increased by using a second hydrophobic amphiphile, such as hexylphosphate, to adjust the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance or the spontaneous peaking properties of lecithin-alcohol systems.