Sol-Gel Microencapsulation Based on Pickering Emulsion

Microencapsulation has been proved to be an efficient technic to entrap and protect active substance in variety fields of application. This process implies two consecutive stages, that is, the emulsion stage, which can be described as a limiting step since it determines the diameter and size distribution of the microcapsules and need to remain stable long enough to allow the membrane to form in the second one. Pickering emulsions are used to improve the stability of the emulsions and to limit the exudation of the active ingredient during mem ­ brane formation. The first part of this chapter deals with the description of the Pickering emulsion stabilized with solid particles. The second part focuses on the use of this kind of emulsion in a microencapsulation process, and the last part concerns a study of the influ ­ ence of the nanosilica particles on microparticle formation obtained from a