From molecules to systems: sol-gel micro-encapsulation in silica based materials.

This paper presents a review on the different methods for producing sol-gel micro-capsules and controlled release particles. It also discusses a number of applications of these capsules including advanced sun-screen, antiacne-therapy and self healing cement. It also tries to consider the economic and environmental impact of those sol-gel encapsulation process. Although, the assumption used for the economic and environmental impact remain clearly questionable, the technical review proposed by Pagliaro et al. is a good starting point for anybody wanting to learn about sol-gel encapsulation.

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/cr100161x