Emulsifier-free Emulsification: EfE

Abstract

Since ancient times, oil and water have been regarded as the quintessential example of immiscible substances, and emulsifiers (such as surfactants) have played the role of mediating between them. Consequently, the notion that “oil and water cannot mix without the use of emulsifiers” has long been accepted as common wisdom. However, we have come to realize that this conventional wisdom is not necessarily absolute through continued investigation of the mixing behavior of oil and water. Oil and water can mix and form stable emulsions under appropriate conditions even in the absence of emulsifiers. In this article, we discuss the possibility and underlying principles of emulsifier-free emulsification (EfE): a phenomenon once regarded as implausible, in which stable emulsions are formed using only oil and water.

graphical abstract