Natural and Sustainable Emulsions: Design, Stabilization, and Functional Applications
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: biobased products; natural functional ingredients and applications; nano and microencapsulation; polyurethane chemistry; hybrid and composite materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: green chemistry; bio-based materials; natural bioactives; renewable reinforcements; functional materials; polyurethane chemistry; polyurethane dispersions; tailor-made polymers; advanced processing technologies; electrospinning; 3D printing; food applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The development of natural and sustainable emulsions is gaining momentum as industries seek eco-friendly, safe, and high-performing alternatives to synthetic surfactants. This Special Issue focuses on innovative approaches in the design and stabilization of emulsions using biopolymers, bio-based particles, plant extracts, and upcycled by-products. Natural stabilizers—such as bacterial cellulose, pectin, carrageenan, lignin, alginate, and protein–polysaccharide complexes—offer unique interfacial and structural properties that enable advanced formulation strategies, including Pickering emulsions, controlled-release microcapsules, and multifunctional cosmetic or food systems.
Recent research has highlighted that green valorization of agro-industrial residues and novel solid-dispersion techniques can enhance emulsion stability, encapsulation efficiency, and functional performance. Contributions to this Special Issue may address new stabilizing mechanisms, interfacial engineering, encapsulation of bioactives, sustainable processing, and application-focused studies across cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.
This Special Issue aims to provide an integrated view of emerging trends in natural emulsification and promote environmentally responsible innovation in formulation science.
Dr. Maria Filomena Barreiro
Dr. Arantzazu Santamaria-Echart
Guest Editors
Dr. Tatiana B. Schreiner
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- natural emulsifiers
- pickering emulsions
- biopolymer stabilization
- microencapsulation
- sustainable formulations
- bio-based materials
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