Sol gel processes at neutral pH normally lead to rapid formation of TiO₂ particles.

Sol gel processes in W/O and bicontinuous silicone microemulsions are orders of magnitude slower.

Titania particles growth and aggregation are initially restricted by the microemulsion domains.

Bicontinuous domains are fluid, so eventually particle aggregation will occur at a rate affected by the domain viscosity and anchoring of surfactants at the interface.