Pickering emulsion: From controllable fabrication to biomedical application

Abstract

Pickering emulsion, stabilized by solid particles, possesses low toxicity, high stability, large surface area as well as good biocompatibility in comparison with traditional molecular surfactant‐stabilized emulsion. As such, Pickering emulsion has received much attention in numerous fields including the chemical industry, food industry, agriculture, and biomedicine. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of Pickering emulsion from controllable fabrication to biomedical applications. Firstly, we elaborate on the influence of solid‐particle surfactant on the fabrication of Pickering emulsions and their corresponding preparation technologies. Secondly, we focus on the biomedical applications of Pickering emulsion, including antitumor treatment, antiviral infection, biosensing and biocatalysis as well as wound healing. Finally, we further introduce the proof‐of‐concept of Pickering emulsion and comment on the prospects of this emerging field.

Reactive Polymer Composite Microparticles Based on Glycidyl Methacrylate and Magnetite Nanoparticles

“…These findings demonstrate that Fe 3 O 4 @OA particles play an active role in the formation of the raspberry-like or multi-hollow-like morphology of the composite microparticles produced. Hydrophobic nanoparticles and microparticles are capable of stabilizing water/oil emulsions during polymerization [62][63][64][65]. It is probable that, thanks to this feature, the hydrophobic nanoparticles of Fe 3 O 4 @OA can easily disperse in the monomer phase and participate in the formation of 'giga' pores in the polymer composite microbeads provided as a consequence of polymerization.…”

Demulsification of Pickering Emulsions by Chemical Dissolution of Stabilizers

“…1 The high desorption energy of particles from the oil−water interface, which is proportional to the square of the particle size (ΔG d ∝ R 2 ), signifies the advantages of using particles to stabilize emulsions compared to conventional emulsifiers such as polymers and surfactants. Various organic/inorganic particles with different size, shape, and surface chemistry could be chosen to render stable emulsions for applications in the food and beverages, 2 biomedicine, 3 paints and coating, 4 flexible electronics, 5 and high-grade cosmetics industries. 6 While highly stable emulsions are desirable in several applications, there are instances when an emulsion needs to be destabilized to separate oil and water.…”