In this study, we show a strategy
of formulating highly and fully
water dilutable sustainable microemulsions with dibasic esters as
oil pseudophase. First, dimethyl or diethyl DBEs with different numbers
of carbon atoms between the ester functions (succinate C2, glutarate
C3, and adipate C4) or DBE blends and a surfactant–cosurfactant
melt consisting of sodium dodecylsulfate and 1-pentanol with a constant
weight ratio of 1:2 are used. We investigated the extent of the realms
of existence of homogeneous single phases and represent them with
pseudoternary phase diagrams. It was possible to formulate fully water
dilutable oil-rich single-phase solutions with all dimethyl dibasic
esters but not with the diethyl ones. By mixing the most hydrophilic
dibasic ester with the most hydrophobic one with a mass ratio of 3:2,
a fully water dilutable oil-rich single phase could also be obtained.
The presence of water-in-oil, bicontinuous, and oil-in-water microemulsions
was checked with conductivity and dynamic light scattering measurements.
A percolative behavior was observed for all systems. Second, to formulate
green and sustainable microemulsions, we replaced successively sodium
dodeylsulfate by sodium oleate and 1-pentanol by ethanol or 1,5-pentanediol.
With sodium oleate, highly water dilutable microemulsions were obtained.
Homogeneous and translucid samples in the very diluted area turned
bluish after several days. Longtime pH measurements of systems containing
sodium oleate showed no degradation of the dibasic esters at low water
content and a rapid hydrolysis at high water content with 1-pentanol
as cosurfactant. Always in presence of sodium oleate, the substitution
of 1-pentanol by ethanol or 1,5-pentanediol drives the system to microemulsions
showing an instability of the ester at any water concentrations. Thermal
gravimetric analysis measurements at 32 °C for 24 h confirmed
a rapid evaporation of ethanol and water and negligible evaporation
of 1,5-pentanediol.