Pharmaceutical and food industries are especially sensitive about the oils and surfactants used in their products. In pharmaceuticals this is for safety, and in foods this is both for safety and cost considerations. Demonstrating emulsion technology with established oils in these industries is key for future applications. In the current project, we demonstrated the ability of a new efficient self-emulsification method to produce coconut oil and Precirol ATO5 nanoemulsions without shear and only with small changes in temperature. We have further clarified mechanisms behind the self-emulsification and potential for obtaining uniform nanoparticles by this method. We also demonstrated that such nanoemulsions can be produced via a lab-scale continuous flow reactor. Three patent applications were filed to protect the developed technology in the project were filed and one progressed through to PCT national stages. Marketing interviews with industry experts have been carried out and the most promising markets identified in pharmaceutical development. Business plans from Queen Mary have been discussed with business experts and venture capitalists. One peer-reviewed open access paper has already been published based on the results, another is ready to be submitted, and a high-profile paper is also in preparation.
