TRANSPORT THROUGH MICROEMULSION-BASED ORGANO-GELS

An AOT-stabilized water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion, containing metal ions in its aqueous region, can be set into a hard, stable organo-gel upon addition of gelatin to the solution. When this microemulsion-based organo-gel is in contact with a w/o microemulsion, both the microemulsion solution and the organogel remain intact. If the water droplets of the w/o microemulsion contain a ligand, such as murexide, a communication between the water droplets of the organo-gel and those of the w/o microemulsion is observed in the form of a metal ion/ligand complexation reaction. The metal ions, solubilized within the aqueous region of the organo-gel, are transported to the dispersed phase of the microemulsion in a slow step. This is then followed by the rapid metal ion/murexide complexation reaction. A similar mechanism is observed if the dispersed phase is changed to glycerol + water mixtures. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.