Confined Impingement Jet Mixing of Charged Polymers for Functional Structured Colloids and Encapsulation

Confined impingement jet (CIJ) mixing has been demonstrated as a scalable continuous process, thus enabling the mass production of structured nanocolloids consisting of distinct polymer domains as well as the encapsulation of sensitive active ingredients (SAIs) via the technique of flash nanoprecipitation (FNP). Due to the fast mixing in a CIJ mixer, competing timescales of mixing and aggregation dictate final particle size and morphology. Yet, incorporating charged polymers (e.g., ionomers and polyelectrolytes) and their additional timescales of electrostatic interactions has yet to be characterized in detail as a pathway for fabricating functional colloids. Here, we explore the impact of hydrophobic ionomers on traditional FNP for forming complex nanocolloids for use as amphiphilic colloidal surfactants in emulsification studies. The use of ionomers for stabilization of SAIs in a non-traditional medium is also presented. Additionally, the nascent technique of flash nanocomplexation (FNC) is developed as a scalable route for generating polyelectrolyte complexes where process parameters of charge ratio, charge density, and molecular weight disparity are explored in the context of fast mixing times. The application of FNC to the sustainable encapsulation of SAIs is demonstrated.