Silica nanocapsules from nano-emulsions obtained by phase inversion

A process for the manufacture of silica nanocapsules, said process comprising:

• obtaining a nanoemulsion of an aqueous phase and an oil phase and at least one surfactant, the nanoemulsion being formed by the process comprising:
• (i) forming an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion of an aqueous phase and an oil phase comprising at least one hydrophobic material and at least one silica precursor in the presence of at least one surfactant,
• (ii) heating the O/W emulsion above its phase inversion temperature (PIT) to obtain a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion, and
• (iii) cooling the W/O emulsion below the PIT temperature, thereby forming a nanoemulsion of oil droplets in water;
• inducing interfacial polymerization of the silica precursor around the oil droplets in the nanoemulsions thereby obtaining said silica nanocapsules.