Recent progress in emulsion gels: from fundamentals to applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Food Science

Background:

• Emulsion gels (emulgels) are recognized for their stability, microstructure, and mechanical properties.
• Historically, applications focused on the food industry, such as fat substitutes and bioactive ingredient delivery.
• Recent research highlights their potential beyond food, in advanced materials design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of emulsion gels.
• To highlight recent advancements in emulsion gel research.
• To explore the expanding applications of emulsion gels in various scientific domains.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of fundamental research and practical applications.
• Analysis of recent progress in emulsion gel science.
• Identification of open questions and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Emulsion gels possess tunable morphology and microstructure.
• Their applications are broadening from food to chemical engineering, pharmaceutics, and materials science.
• Significant progress has been made in understanding and utilizing emulsion gels.

Conclusions:

• Emulsion gels are versatile materials with broad applicability.
• Further research can unlock their potential in novel functional materials.
• Continued exploration is needed to deepen their applications across scientific fields.