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.