Abstract
Nano-emulsion systems consist of a suspension of liquid nanodroplets stabilized by surfactants. Nano-emulsions are very powerful and promising systems for numerous applications, since there are very stable systems and their formulation and characterization are not only very simple but also simply transposable for industrial scale-up. Owing to a liquid core (mainly oily core), nano-emulsions have appeared as an efficient solution to disperse and stabilize poorly water-soluble compounds in aqueous media, through their nano-encapsulation. The main emerging applications of nano-emulsions include the formulation of innovative drug delivery systems and/or contrast agents. In this chapter, we will present a state of the art of the different aspects of the nano-emulsion formulation: processes of fabrication, optimization of the processes, impact of the chemical nature of the compounds on the processes, stability, strategies for optimizing the stability, and characterization. Likewise, we will discuss the emerging technologies aiming the surface treatment of nano-emulsions, including polymer coating (e.g., for inducing stealth properties in vivo) or ligand grafting for active targeting.
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Anton, N., Vandamme, T. (2015). Nano-Emulsions. In: Aliofkhazraei, M. (eds) Handbook of Nanoparticles. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13188-7_2-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13188-7_2-1
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