Self-emulsification in chemical and pharmaceutical technologies

The interest in the low energy self-emulsification techniques has exploded in the recent years, driven by three main trends: by the transition to "greener" technologies in both its as-pects-less energy consumption and replacement of the petrochemicals by natural ingredients; by the costly and maintenance demanding equipment for nanoemulsification; and by the quest for efficient and robust self-emulsifying for-mulations for oral drug delivery. Here, we first present a brief overview of the main known low-energy methods for nano -emulsion formation, focusing on their mechanistic under -standing and discussing some recent advances in their development and applications. Next, we review three conceptually new approaches for self-emulsification in chemi-cal technologies, discovered in the last several years. The colloidal features and the specific requirements of the self-emulsifying drug-deliver y systems (SEDDS) are also discussed briefly. Finally, we summarize the current trends and the main challenges in this vivid research area.