Droplets for acoustic vaporization: Formulations, properties and applications

The Acoustic Droplet Vaporization (ADV) (1), a phase-change of the droplets core from liquid to vapor phase upon ultrasound irradiation, burst renewed interest in droplet emulsions, a traditional topic of colloidal science, opening up innovative applications in biomedicine. Droplets undergoing ADV share similar liquid cores, typically perfluorocarbons (PFCs), however, the nature of the shells can be polymeric (2) or lipidic (3, 4). Such difference imparts to phase-change droplets diverse acoustic and mechanical behaviors (5). In this contribution we present some results concerning a general strategy for the formulation of polymer or lipid shelled submicron droplets. Other key points for the use of ADV-responsive in biomedical applications will be addressed. Recently we have extended the concepts of ADV to radiation responsive droplets for dosimetry in cancer treatment with hadronic radiation. Results on this activity will be also reported (6). References: (1) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (2004) 116 (1): 272–281; (2) Chem. Commun., 2013, 49, 5763; (3) JoVE, 169 (2021); (4) Langmuir (2019), 35, 10116–10127; (5) Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2016, 18, 8378; (6) COCIS, 49, 118–132 (2020).