Emulsions stabilized with solid nanoparticles: Pickering emulsions

• Pickering emulsions have outstanding properties controlled by both formulation and process parameters.
• Various stabilizing particles are working: either inorganic or organic.
• Pickering emulsions allow the control of drug delivery.
• Applications to nanostructured materials are promising.

Pickering emulsions are attractive formulations because they are simple and bear strong similarities with the well-known surfactant-based emulsions. Pickering emulsions have been largely ignored since their early disclosure in 1907 and arouse a renewed interest quite recently. Since this unintelligible time gap raises suspicion, the first aim of the present review is giving the simple fundamental rules as an introduction for newcomers in the topic. The basic physical chemistry of Pickering emulsions is explained and the ways to control the parameters of higher relevance with respect to development of applications are given. This first part covers the choice of the solid nanoparticles used as stabilizers and their surface properties, the control of emulsion type, droplet size, and rheology. A second part gives examples of some applications in drug delivery and manufacturing of porous nanomaterials as illustrations of the potential of such emulsions.

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