The effect of emulsifier type on the formation and stability of nanoemulsion gels

Liquid nanoemulsions are shown to transform into viscoelastic gels by reducing droplet size, increasing interfacial repulsive barrier between the nanodroplets and therefore increasing the effective oil volume fraction. The repulsive gelation in nanoemulsions can be achieved at a significantly lower oil volume fraction compared to conventional emulsion gels, making the nanoemulsion gel an attractive material for various low-fat food applications. Gelation in nanoemulsions stabilized by anionic small molecule emulsifier and polymeric protein are compared in terms of gel strength, average droplet size, effective oil volume fraction, and long-term gel stability. It is expected that higher stability and large surface area of nanoscale droplet size can further extend the application of nanoemulsion gels in the field of functional foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.