Multiple emulsions, especially water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) type systems, have potential applications for the formulation and processing of foods, drugs, cosmetics, etc, as each dispersed globule in this type of emulsions consists of liquid compartments separated from the same liquid suspending medium by a thin layer of another immiscible liquid components. This article reviews a series of fundamental works on the formation and dispersion state of multiple emulsion systems and integrates advances made in the area of colloid science so as to obtain further insights into the formulation of W/O/W emulsions. The contents are divided into three sections: methods for preparing multiple emulsions in view of the phase diagram of mixed components, dynamic aspects of oil layer in W/O/W emulsions, and stability of this type of emulsions.
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