Biodegradable Chitosan Nanoparticles for Sunscreen UV Filters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metal oxide nanoparticles used in sunscreens are toxic, cause skin damage, and leave white patches due to their opaque nature and potential penetration through the skin, while reducing their size to mitigate these issues leads to photocatalytic activity and non-degradability, resulting in harmful side effects.
Innovation Solution
A sunscreen composition utilizing biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles as UV filters, which are non-toxic, biocompatible, and antimicrobial, with sizes ranging from 200 to 900 nm, providing effective UV attenuation and adherence to the skin without the drawbacks of metal oxide nanoparticles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal oxide nanoparticles (TiO2/ZnO) are used as UV filter, then UV protection is provided, but white patchy appearance and skin penetration damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal oxide nanoparticles to chitosan nanoparticles, and optimizes the size parameter to 200-900 nm range. This parameter change eliminates the white patchy appearance while maintaining UV protection through attenuation mechanisms, and prevents skin penetration damage due to the larger optimized size and biocompatible nature of chitosan.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses chitosan nanoparticles as a composite biopolymer material that combines UV filtering capability with biocompatibility and non-toxicity. This composite material approach replaces conventional metal oxide nanoparticles, providing both UV protection and elimination of harmful side effects through the inherent properties of chitosan.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If size of metal oxide nanoparticles is reduced to 20-150 nm, then whitening effect is eliminated, but skin penetration and oxidative stress increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the nanoparticle size parameter to 200-900 nm, which is larger than the problematic 20-150 nm range. This size optimization prevents skin penetration while maintaining cosmetic acceptability. The upper size limit prevents penetration through skin layers, while the lower limit avoids excessive whitening effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles that can be safely eliminated from the body through natural metabolic processes. This biodegradability principle allows the use of nanoparticles without long-term accumulation risks, addressing the safety concerns associated with persistent ultrafine metal oxide particles.
3Reliability
If metal oxide nanoparticles are used, then UV attenuation is achieved, but toxic side effects and organ accumulation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles that can be safely eliminated from the body through natural metabolic processes. This biodegradability principle allows the use of nanoparticles without long-term accumulation risks, addressing the safety concerns associated with persistent metal oxide particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The chitosan nanoparticles utilize the body's natural metabolic pathways for their own elimination. The biocompatible chitosan material is recognized and processed by biological systems, allowing self-cleanup without requiring external intervention or posing burden on organ systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The chitosan nanoparticles offer superior UV protection with higher SPF values and reduced skin damage risks, providing effective UV attenuation and antimicrobial protection while being biodegradable and non-toxic, thus addressing the limitations of conventional sunscreen technologies.
Implementation Method 1
nanomaterials are acting as physical sunscreen. The physical sunscreens like metal oxide nanoparticles attenuate UV irradiation by absorption and scattering from the skin surface itself
Implementation Method 2
The physical sunscreens like metal oxide nanoparticles attenuate UV irradiation by absorption and scattering from the skin surface itself
Implementation Method 3
the chitosan nanoparticles provide antimicrobial protection of human skin from harmful pathogens owing to the antimicrobial property of chitosan polymer
Implementation Method 4
the chitosan nanoparticles can adhere well on human skin owing to the cationic nature of chitosan polymer
Data Source
AI summary
Nanomaterials are an important class of materials for sunscreens. Conventional metal oxide nanoparticles are toxic in nature and leave white patches on skin after application. This disclosure provides a sunscreen composition containing biodegradable antimicrobial polymer nanoparticles as UV filter. The sunscreen composition comprising chitosan nanoparticles, at least one flavoring agent, at least one coloring agent, at least one stabilizer, and at least one preservative, in a defined form, wherein size of the chitosan nanoparticles is ranging from 200 to 900 nm. The size of the chitosan nanoparticles ranging from 200 to 400 nm for air medium, 500 to 700 nm for water medium and 700 to 900 nm for ethanol medium. The chitosan polymer is derived from chitin, a glucosamine polymer. The sunscreen composition is available in the defined form selected from a group consisting of a skin cream, a skin lotion, a powder, a gel, and a sprayable liquid.