Anisotropy in Pickering Emulsions Enables Catalysis at the Interface

Interfaces with an anisotropic microenvironment are regarded as key platforms for multiphasic catalysis. In the last decade, Pickering emulsions stabilized by solid particles has emerged as a promising system for enhanced heterogeneous catalysis as it allows the stabilization of large water-oil interfacial areas, in-situ reaction and separation, tailored chemical environments that can promote reaction rates by modifying the solvation layer of surface bound species, phase-selective catalysis in which molecules are converted based on their solubility in the water or organic phases, and facile recovery of the interfacially active catalyst. In this review, we firstly discuss the basic concepts behind Pickering emulsions, and summarize the strategies for tailoring Pickering emulsion catalytic systems by modifying either the solid particles or the emulsion. Next, we discuss recovery and reuse of “smart” Pickering emulsion catalysts. Subsequently, we review the current progress on microreactors for biomimetic catalysis. Finally, we present a critical perspective on the challenges and opportunities in Pickering Interfacial Catalysis (PIC).