2005/01/13 by François Ganachaud, Joseph Katz · 1 citation
Engineering · Materials Science · Chemistry · #Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation #Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization #3D Printing in Biomedical Research #Nanocapsules #Nucleation #Pulmonary surfactant #Chemical engineering #Nanoparticle #Materials science #Polymer #Homogeneous #Solvent #Emulsion #Silicone #Silicone oil #Nanotechnology #Polymer science #Chemistry #Organic chemistry #Composite material #Thermodynamics
paper · doi:10.1002/cphc.200400527
openalex publication_date 2005/01/13 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
The preparation of polymeric particles and capsules by means of spontaneous droplet formation and subsequent polymer precipitation or synthesis is well-known. However, spontaneous emulsification is a phenomenon that has often been erroneously interpreted. This Minireview provides new insights into the preparation of metastable liquid dispersions by homogeneous liquid-liquid nucleation, and is based primarily on a recent study by Vitale and Katz (Langmuir, 2003, 19, 4105-4110). This spontaneous emulsification, which they named the Ouzo effect, occurs upon pouring, into water, a mixture of a totally water-miscible solvent and a hydrophobic oil--and optionally some water--thus generating long-lived small droplets, which are formed even though no surfactant is present. Herein, we review and reinterpret the most relevant publications on the synthesis of a variety of dispersions (pseudolatexes, silicone emulsions, biodegradable polymeric nanocapsules, etc.), which we believe have actually been synthesized using the Ouzo effect. The Ouzo effect may also become a substitute for high-shear techniques, which, to date have only been of limited utility on industrial scales.