Core-shell micro/nanocapsules: from encapsulation to applications

Abstract

Encapsulation is the way to wrap or coat one substance as a core inside another tiny substance known as a shell at micro and nano scale for protecting the active ingredients from the exterior environment. A lot of active substances, such as flavours, enzymes, drugs, pesticides, vitamins, in addition to catalysts being effectively encapsulated within capsules consisting of different natural as well as synthetic polymers comprising poly(methacrylate), poly(ethylene glycol), cellulose, poly(lactide), poly(styrene), gelatine, poly(lactide-co-glycolide)s, and acacia. The developed capsules release the enclosed substance conveniently and in time through numerous mechanisms, reliant on the ultimate use of final products. Such technology is important for several fields counting food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agriculture, and textile industries. The present review focuses on the most important and high-efficiency methods for manufacturing micro/nanocapsules and their several applications in our life.

Keywords:

• Encapsulation
• micro/nanocapsules
• pharmacy
• textile
• cosmetics
• agriculture

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all those scientists whose research contributions in the field of micro/nanoencapsulation for different applications have been referred here.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Institute of Analytical Sciences (ISA), University Claude Bernard Lyon-1, CNRS, ISA-UMR 5280, F-69622 Lyon, France.