THE FORMATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY OF NONIONIC SURFACTANT VESICLES

The physicochemical properties of the vesicles formed by 1,2 dialkyl g lycerol polyoxyethylene ether surfactants were examined using a variet y of techniques including electron microscopy, photon correlation and fluorescence spectroscopy and drug encapsulation studies. The stabilit y of the vesicles with respect to time, electrolytes and temperature w as established. When compared to vesicles produced by phosphatidylchol ines, the vesicles produced by the non-ionic surfactants exhibited sup erior properties with respect to stability, and are thus considered to offer greater potential for use as drug delivery systems.