Free energy reduction by molecular interface crossing: Novel mechanism forthe transport of material across the interface of nanoscale droplets induced by competing intermolecular forces for application in perfluorocarbon blood substitutes

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are inert liquids which can dissolve and release - approximately 50 times more oxygen than blood plasma. Oxygen carriers based on PFCs are easy to produce, free of biological components, and more rigor ously sterilizable than blood. PFCs injected into the body are eliminated b y expiration through the lungs. Before reaching the lungs, PFCs accumulate in storage organs such as liver and spleen, In these organs nanoscale PFC d roplets reduce their free energy by unifying to microscopic drops, thus ind irectly lowering the rate of their expiration. The model of free energy reduction by molecular interface crossing (FERMIC) , a novel emulsion breaking mechanism derived from first principles as pres ented here, leads to a better understanding of the structure formation proc esses relevant in perfluorocarbons (PFCs) in vivo.