Interfacial and self-assembly controlled uptake of Bisphenol A in squalane-based dispersions: From micellar solubilization to mesophase confinement
Abstract
This study investigates the mechanisms governing Bisphenol A (BPA) uptake from water in squalane-based dispersed systems, deliberately chosen as a poor solvent for BPA to decouple bulk partitioning effects from interfacial and self-assembly-driven processes. The objective is to determine how formulation parameters control BPA localization across the different compartments of complex liquid systems. In the absence of lipids, interfacial tension measurements reveal that BPA exhibits interfacial activity at squalane-water interfaces at low emulsifier concentrations. However, this interfacial adsorption does not control the overall uptake. Instead, BPA uptake is primarily governed by the concentration-dependent self-assembly of the triblock copolymer F127 in the aqueous phase. Above the critical aggregation concentration, micelles dominate and act as the main uptake domains, as confirmed by kinetic measurements. Notably, identical uptake behavior is observed for F127 aqueous solutions and squalane-based emulsions when expressed as a function of emulsifier concentration, demonstrating that the presence of oil droplets does not introduce an additional uptake mechanism. A fundamentally different behavior emerges upon the introduction of monolinolein within the droplets, leading to the formation of internally structured L 2 mesophases. This structural transition generates additional internal lipid-water interfaces and results in a marked enhancement of BPA uptake at constant emulsifier concentration. Small-angle X-ray scattering reveals that BPA incorporation induces measurable structural changes within the mesophase, indicating that BPA is not merely adsorbed but confined within the internal lipid-water architecture. Overall, this work demonstrates that BPA uptake in dispersed systems is governed by a transition from bulk micellar solubilization to confinement within internally structured interfaces. These findings provide a molecular-level understanding of solute partitioning in complex liquids and highlight the importance of designing hierarchical interfacial architectures.
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BibTeX
@article{guillot2026interfacial,
title = {{Interfacial and self-assembly controlled uptake of Bisphenol A in squalane-based dispersions: From micellar solubilization to mesophase confinement}},
author = {Samuel Guillot and Sandrine Delpeux and Aude Gagner and Cyrine Mejri and Hamidréza Ramézani and Fabienne Méducin and Louis Hennet},
journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2026.129948},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05774776v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Interfacial and self-assembly controlled uptake of Bisphenol A in squalane-based dispersions: From micellar solubilization to mesophase confinement
AU - Samuel Guillot
AU - Sandrine Delpeux
AU - Aude Gagner
AU - Cyrine Mejri
AU - Hamidréza Ramézani
AU - Fabienne Méducin
AU - Louis Hennet
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Journal of Molecular Liquids
DO - 10.1016/j.molliq.2026.129948
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05774776v1
AB - This study investigates the mechanisms governing Bisphenol A (BPA) uptake from water in squalane-based dispersed systems, deliberately chosen as a poor solvent for BPA to decouple bulk partitioning effects from interfacial and self-assembly-driven processes. The objective is to determine how formulation parameters control BPA localization across the different compartments of complex liquid systems. In the absence of lipids, interfacial tension measurements reveal that BPA exhibits interfacial activity at squalane-water interfaces at low emulsifier concentrations. However, this interfacial adsorption does not control the overall uptake. Instead, BPA uptake is primarily governed by the concentration-dependent self-assembly of the triblock copolymer F127 in the aqueous phase. Above the critical aggregation concentration, micelles dominate and act as the main uptake domains, as confirmed by kinetic measurements. Notably, identical uptake behavior is observed for F127 aqueous solutions and squalane-based emulsions when expressed as a function of emulsifier concentration, demonstrating that the presence of oil droplets does not introduce an additional uptake mechanism. A fundamentally different behavior emerges upon the introduction of monolinolein within the droplets, leading to the formation of internally structured L 2 mesophases. This structural transition generates additional internal lipid-water interfaces and results in a marked enhancement of BPA uptake at constant emulsifier concentration. Small-angle X-ray scattering reveals that BPA incorporation induces measurable structural changes within the mesophase, indicating that BPA is not merely adsorbed but confined within the internal lipid-water architecture. Overall, this work demonstrates that BPA uptake in dispersed systems is governed by a transition from bulk micellar solubilization to confinement within internally structured interfaces. These findings provide a molecular-level understanding of solute partitioning in complex liquids and highlight the importance of designing hierarchical interfacial architectures.
SN - 0167-7322
ER -