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高等学校化学研究 ›› 2022, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (3): 698-715.doi: 10.1007/s40242-022-2019-8

• Reviews • 上一篇    下一篇

Regulating the Oil-Water Interface to Construct Double Emulsions: Current Understanding and Their Biomedical Applications

LIAN Xiaodong, SONG Chenhao and WANG Yapei   

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Light Conversion Materials and Biophotonics, Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China
  • 收稿日期:2022-01-18 修回日期:2022-03-09 出版日期:2022-06-01 发布日期:2022-05-26
  • 通讯作者: WANG Yapei E-mail:yapeiwang@ruc.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.21825503 and 21674127).

Regulating the Oil-Water Interface to Construct Double Emulsions: Current Understanding and Their Biomedical Applications

LIAN Xiaodong, SONG Chenhao and WANG Yapei   

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Light Conversion Materials and Biophotonics, Department of Chemistry, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, P. R. China
  • Received:2022-01-18 Revised:2022-03-09 Online:2022-06-01 Published:2022-05-26
  • Contact: WANG Yapei E-mail:yapeiwang@ruc.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.21825503 and 21674127).

摘要: Double emulsions have been extensively used in scientific researches and industrial applications due to their attractive unique feature of multiple phases. However, constructing droplets with such a complex structure is not a simple task for all time. The simultaneous existence of two contradictory interfaces makes it hard to prepare stable double emulsions in principle and in practice. Over the past century, tremendous efforts have been devoted by myriads of scientists to make progresses in both theory and preparation of double emulsions. In this review, the current understanding of double emulsions is systematically revealed. In addition to emphasizing the corresponding pioneer and landmark works as many as possible, the state-of-the-art achievements will also be discussed. By regulating the oil-water interface with smartly designed interface-active agents in combination with varying the phase volume fractions, the basic theory framework based on the phase inversion from simple emulsions to double emulsions is also summarized. Technical preparation strategies of emulsification are introduced to show the building process of the two contradictory interfaces in one system. Furthermore, some specific biomedical applications of double emulsions are also discussed, which is expected to stimulate further innovation and utilization of double emulsions.

关键词: Double emulsion, Interface, Phase inversion, Emulsification, Biomedical application

Abstract: Double emulsions have been extensively used in scientific researches and industrial applications due to their attractive unique feature of multiple phases. However, constructing droplets with such a complex structure is not a simple task for all time. The simultaneous existence of two contradictory interfaces makes it hard to prepare stable double emulsions in principle and in practice. Over the past century, tremendous efforts have been devoted by myriads of scientists to make progresses in both theory and preparation of double emulsions. In this review, the current understanding of double emulsions is systematically revealed. In addition to emphasizing the corresponding pioneer and landmark works as many as possible, the state-of-the-art achievements will also be discussed. By regulating the oil-water interface with smartly designed interface-active agents in combination with varying the phase volume fractions, the basic theory framework based on the phase inversion from simple emulsions to double emulsions is also summarized. Technical preparation strategies of emulsification are introduced to show the building process of the two contradictory interfaces in one system. Furthermore, some specific biomedical applications of double emulsions are also discussed, which is expected to stimulate further innovation and utilization of double emulsions.

Key words: Double emulsion, Interface, Phase inversion, Emulsification, Biomedical application