I am trying to make agarose gel micro particles in batch technique and I am using mineral oil and Tween 20 3% (v/v) as surfactant. after preparing the suspension and overnight sedimentation, washing and centrifugation, I am not sure the particles that I am watching under the microscope are oil droplets or agarose gel micro droplets? I tried to dye the continuous and disperse phase separately but wasn't that much effective. Any ideas regarding this? Especially particular protocols, references, or papers could help. Images are attached.
Make test solutions containing only one of the two, and the answer will be apparent: The intense spheres with the dark refractive rim are oil droplets. The faint grey spheres (you have only a few in the upper image) are the agarose.
If you shake the 2 types of particle in a water soluble dye then perhaps the oil droplets will not take up the colour but the agarose should do
Thank you for your replies. Do you have a suggestion or protocols on making hydrogel particles in batch?
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