Patent ID: 7008646

Claim:
A cubic gel precursor comprising: (A) an encapsulating compound, (B) an amphiphile capable of forming a cubic liquid crystalline phase, and optionally (C) a solvent, wherein ingredients (A), (B), and optionally (C) are present in mass fractions relative to each other such that 1.0=a+b+c wherein a is the mass fraction of ingredient (A), b is the mass fraction of ingredient (B), and c is the mass fraction of ingredient (C), and wherein the mass-fractional relationship between a, b and c is 0.75≧a≧0.5, 0.5≧b≧0.25, and 0.2≧c≧0; and with the proviso that a, b, and c do not fall within a cubic liquid crystalline phase region on a phase diagram representing phase behavior of ingredients (A), (B), and (C).