No abstract

It's proposed a single methodology for the encapsulation of Aloe vera oil or microalgae fatty acids using the complex coacervation process between gelatin and gum arabic. Although a very recurrent method, it is not trivial to establish a single coacervation methodology to encapsulate different compounds. The optimal synthesis conditions, that resulted in the best yield and encapsulation efficiency, are 1:1 (m/m) wall-to-core ratio, a temperature of 40°C and agitation speed of 10,000 rpm. Optical microscopy analysis revealed that the microcapsules are spherical, have average diameters of 112 μm (A. vera) and 118 μm (microalgae) and do not form agglomerates. The microcapsules were characterized by the osmotic pressure at which they ruptured, allowing the calculation of their mechanical resistance, which resulted in 392 MPa (A. vera) and 425 MPa (microalgae). The presented optimized methodology to encapsulate both compounds aims to contribute to their efficient and rational use, especially in cosmeceutical applications.

Alginate (ALG) is a natural polymer used in a wide range of applications. Cerium is a sustainable corrosion inhibitor for many metal substrates. In this study, ALG/Ce3+ hydrogel microparticles are presented as an innovative cerium(III) reservoir system for the smart release of cerium ions. The active corrosion inhibition capacity of the ALG/Ce3+ complex was investigated. Tests using ALG/Ce3+ macrogels (beads) and electrochemical experiments showed that, in saline media, ALG/Ce3+ hydrogel was able to release Ce3+, which was subsequently exchanged with Al3+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ and, thus slowing the corrosion process of AA2024 (aluminum alloy) and AISI1020 (carbon steel) substrates, respectively. It is suggested that the presence of metal ions originated from the corrosion process triggers the cerium release. The corrosion protection of ALG/Ce3+ of the aluminum alloy was confirmed by polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) and the protection of the carbon steel was demonstrated by EIS experiments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an alginate-based complex has been reported as an ion exchange corrosion-inhibiting system for metal substrates.