Synthesis of colloidal particles in miniemulsions

Miniemulsions are specially formulated heterophase systems in which stable nanodroplets of one phase are dispersed in a second, continuous phase. Because each of the nanodroplets can be regarded as a nanoscopic, individual batch reactor, a whole variety of reactions and processes resulting in both organic and inorganic nanoparticles can be performed. This chapter reviews the wide range of possibilities of reactions in miniemulsions for the formation of structured nanoparticles. Different kinds of polymerizations, such as radical, anionic, and enzymatic polymerization, as well as polyaddition and polycondensation can be carried out in the nanodroplets, which permits the formulation of a variety of polymers, copolymers, or hybrid particles that previously have not been synthesized in other heterophase processes. Additionally, this review shows that miniemulsions are also highly suited for the encapsulation of various organic and inorganic, solid or liquid materials and for the functionalization of the particle surface.