Microemulsions with CO2 as a solvent

Supercritical CO2 is considered as a promising alternative for volatile organic solvents currently used in certain industrial processes and products, however, the poor solubilizing power of CO2 towards polar substances remains a significant barrier to applications. Employing effective surfactants which generate stable dispersions and water/CO2 microemulsions is accepted as one way to improve the physico-chemical properties of CO2. This article reviews recent studies on microemulsions in liquid CO2, as well as the development of CO2-philic surfactants.