Issue 11, 2016

Nanoemulsions: formation, properties and applications

Abstract

Nanoemulsions are kinetically stable liquid-in-liquid dispersions with droplet sizes on the order of 100 nm. Their small size leads to useful properties such as high surface area per unit volume, robust stability, optically transparent appearance, and tunable rheology. Nanoemulsions are finding application in diverse areas such as drug delivery, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and material synthesis. Additionally, they serve as model systems to understand nanoscale colloidal dispersions. High and low energy methods are used to prepare nanoemulsions, including high pressure homogenization, ultrasonication, phase inversion temperature and emulsion inversion point, as well as recently developed approaches such as bubble bursting method. In this review article, we summarize the major methods to prepare nanoemulsions, theories to predict droplet size, physical conditions and chemical additives which affect droplet stability, and recent applications.

Graphical abstract: Nanoemulsions: formation, properties and applications

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
07 Dec 2015
Accepted
19 Feb 2016
First published
23 Feb 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 2826-2841

Nanoemulsions: formation, properties and applications

A. Gupta, H. B. Eral, T. A. Hatton and P. S. Doyle, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 2826 DOI: 10.1039/C5SM02958A

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