Nanoemulsion Formulation and Characterization in Drug Delivery Systems

Nanoemulsions are submicron‐sized colloidal dispersions of oil and water phases stabilised by surfactants. Their small droplet dimensions confer optical transparency, high surface area and enhanced kinetic stability, all of which facilitate improved solubility, bioavailability and controlled release of therapeutic agents. Formulation strategies fall into high‐energy methods—such as high‐pressure homogenisation, ultrasonication and microfluidisation—and low‐energy approaches including phase inversion temperature (PIT), phase inversion composition (PIC) and spontaneous emulsification. Key parameters for characterisation encompass mean droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and rheological behaviour, each offering insight into stability, release kinetics and tissue compatibility. Advances in scalable, low‐energy processes and stimuli‐responsive architectures have broadened the practical deployment of nanoemulsion‐based carriers for oral, parenteral and topical administration. The global significance of this platform is underscored by its capacity to deliver lipophilic drugs, peptides and vaccines more efficiently, to target tissues with reduced systemic toxicity and to tailor release profiles for chronic or acute conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated the integration of thermoresponsive behaviour into oil-in-water nanoemulsions by employing FDA-approved triblock Pluronic copolymers as gelators. At ambient temperature the formulations behave as low-viscosity dispersions, yet on heating they undergo rapid gelation driven by polymer adsorption at droplet interfaces and micelle formation in the continuous phase. The process exploits a low-energy preparation route that affords tunable rheology and scale-up potential. Such systems exhibit reversible sol–gel transitions, offering a promising avenue for on-demand, temperature-triggered release of pharmaceutical cargos in topical and injectable therapies, while maintaining cytocompatibility and long-term droplet stability.

Nanoemulsion Formulation and Characterization in Drug Delivery Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoemulsion formulation and characterization in drug delivery systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanoemulsion: A kinetically stable dispersion of nanoscale oil droplets in water or vice versa, stabilised by surfactants.

Surfactant: An amphiphilic molecule that adsorbs at oil–water interfaces, reducing interfacial tension and stabilising droplets.

Phase inversion temperature (PIT): The temperature at which a surfactant’s affinity shifts, causing an oil-in-water emulsion to invert to water-in-oil.

Polydispersity index (PDI): A dimensionless metric of droplet size distribution uniformity; lower values denote narrower size ranges.

Zeta potential: The electrostatic potential at the droplet surface, indicative of colloidal stability through repulsive forces.

Microfluidics: The manipulation of picolitre to microlitre fluid volumes in microscale channels for precise control over droplet formation.

References

1. Current State of Nanoemulsions in Drug Delivery. Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology (2011).
2. Thermoresponsive nanoemulsion-based gel synthesized through a low-energy process. Nature Communications (2019).
3. Continuous Synthesis of Nanoscale Emulsions by Vapor Condensation (EVC). Advanced Science (2024).
4. Microfluidic Spontaneous Emulsification for Generation of O/W Nanoemulsions—Opportunity for In‐Space Manufacturing. Advanced Healthcare Materials (2023).
5. Studies on the Effect of Oil and Surfactant on the Formation of Alginate-Based O/W Lidocaine Nanocarriers Using Nanoemulsion Template. Pharmaceutics (2020).