If I make an oil-in-water emulsion using a phospholipid as the surfactant (which begins dissolved in the oil phase), will I always have some liposomes and micelles present too? If so are there any ways to reduce or prevent their formation?
You will generally have a mixture of liposomes and emulsion droplets. The phospholipid monolayer stabilizing the emulsion droplets has an area per molecule that is optimal for the phospholipid to occupy. As the emulsion droplets are formed there is most often an excess of phospholipid present. This frustrates the monolayer and the lipid molecules are squeezed out of the emulsion. This ultimately ends up as a separate liposomal phase. As droplets coarsen over time their is often an increase in the percentage of liposomes in the formulation. The best way to limit the amount of liposomes in the formulation is to judiciously choose the required amount of phospholipid and shut down Ostwald ripening processes from occuring via the addition of a secondary dispersed phase component that has low solubility in the continuous phase.
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