The formation of stable hydroxyapatite dispersions stabilized with ionic surfactants for toothpaste formulations

The proposed experiment aims to address an important aspect of hydroxyapatite-based toothpaste formulations: namely, the effective surfactant chemical structure to provide stable dispersions and products. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is a component in teeth is an effective tooth remineralization alternative to fluoride. However, it HAP is only partially soluble in water: this limits the effectiveness of hydroxyapatite-based toothpastes. Now the challenge is that surfactants used for dispersion of HAP in toothpaste formulations are limited to commercial surfactants that are either irritative or did not foam well. To bridge the missing link, the surfactants tested in this work will be systematically designed and compared with commercially available surfactants. This project form part of a multinational collaboration with Ministry of Health Malaysia agencies to explore applications of surfactants for oral care product applications together with Hirosaki University and University of Bristol. The proposed SANS experiments will enable greater understanding about surfactant-structure performance relationships as well as the self-assembly for the optimization in oral care products while contributing to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency and National Oral Health strategic plan devised by Ministry of Health Malaysia.