Enzymatic Inverse Opal Hydrogel Particles for Biocatalyst

Hydrogel-Encased Photonic Microspheres with Enhanced Color Saturation and High Suspension Stability

Regular arrays of colloidal particles can produce striking structural colors without the need for any chemical pigments. Regular arrays of colloidal particles can be processed into microparticles via emulsion templates for use as structural colorants. Photonic microparticles, however, suffer from intense incoherent scattering and lack of suspension stability. We propose a microfluidic technique to generate hydrogel-shelled photonic microspheres that display enhanced color saturation and suspension stability. We created these microspheres using oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double-emulsion droplets with well-defined dimensions with a capillary microfluidic device. The inner oil droplet contains silica particles in a photocurable monomer, while the middle water droplet carries the hydrogel precursor. Within the inner oil droplet, silica particles arrange into crystalline arrays due to solvation-layer-induced interparticle repulsion. UV irradiation solidifies the inner photonic core and the outer hydrogel shell. The hydrogel shell reduces white scattering and enhances the suspension stability in water. Notably, the hydrogel precursor in the water droplet aids in maintaining the solvation layer, resulting in enhanced crystallinity and richer colors compared with microspheres from O/W single-emulsion droplets. These hydrogel-encased photonic microspheres show promise as structural colorants in water-based inks and polymer composites.

Spatial nanopores promote laccase degradation of bisphenol A and its analogs

Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are frequently detected in environmental and human samples. However, the effective removal of BPA and its analogs has not yet been extensively studied. Herein, we introduce a novel enzyme reactor for the degradation of BPA and its analogs in water. The influence of pore size on the degradation efficiency of immobilized laccase in the spatial nanopores of hydrogel was investigated using BPA as a representative compound. This showed that nanopores enhance the activity of immobilized laccases in a pore size-dependent manner and increase their stability. Compared with the same amount of free laccase, the 50 mg/L BPA degradation performance of laccase immobilized in 76 nm nanopores increased to 300 %. Taking advantage of magnetic separation, this immobilized laccase can be reused, and its degradation capacity was maintained at over 73.7 % after ten reactions. Moreover, the degradation of seven BPA analogs was 1.03-5.88 times higher using laccase immobilized in nanopores compared with free laccase. Also, the biocatalyst could efficiently degrade BPA analogs in real water matrix. This study opens up a new avenue for the removal of BPA and its analogs by immobilizing laccase in nanopores, overcoming the key limitations introduced by the short enzyme life span and non-reusability.

Celastrol-encapsulated microspheres prepared by microfluidic electrospray for alleviating inflammatory pain

Inflammatory pain is induced by trauma, infection, chemical stimulation, etc. It causes severe physical and psychological agony to patients. Celastrol has powerful anti-inflammatory property and has achieved good results in various inflammation-related diseases. However, the low water solubility and multi-system toxicity limit its clinical application. Herein, we proposed alginate microspheres with core-shell structure which encapsulated celastrol by microfluidic electrospray to effectively overcome the shortcomings and improve the therapeutic effect. The microspheres had uniform size and good biocompatibility, and could release the loaded drugs in the gut. The behavioral tests showed that the celastrol-loaded microspheres effectively alleviated inflammatory pain, and the hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE staining), immunofluorescence and detection of inflammatory cytokines showed the anti-inflammatory effect. These results indicated that the microspheres could reduce dose and toxicity without affecting efficacy, and facilitate the application of celastrol in different clinical situations.

Application of Polymer Hydrogels in the Prevention of Postoperative Adhesion: A Review

Postoperative adhesion is a common post-surgery complication formed between the surface of the body cavity, ranging from a layer of connective tissue to a fibrous bridge containing blood vessels and nerve tissue. Despite achieving a lot of progress, the mechanisms of adhesion formation still need to be further studied. In addition, few current treatments are consistently effective in the prevention of postoperative adhesion. Hydrogel is a kind of water-expanding crosslinked hydrophilic polymer network generated by a simple reaction of one or more monomers. Due to the porous structure, hydrogels can load different drugs and control the drug release kinetics. Evidence from existing studies has confirmed the feasibility and superiority of using hydrogels to counter postoperative adhesions, primarily due to their outstanding antifouling ability. In this review, the current research status of hydrogels as anti-adhesion barriers is summarized, the character of hydrogels in the prevention of postoperative adhesion is briefly introduced, and future research directions are discussed.

A General Strategy for the Synthesis of Hierarchically Ordered Metal-Organic Frameworks with Tunable Macro-, Meso-, and Micro-Pores

Hierarchically ordered porous materials with tailored and inter-connected macro-, meso-, and micro-pores would facilitate the heterogeneous adsorption and catalysis processes for a wide range of applications but remain a challenge for synthetic chemists. Here, a general and efficient strategy for the synthesis of inverse opal metal-organic frameworks (IO MOFs) with a tunable size of macro-, meso-, and micro-pores is reported. The strategy is based on the step-wise template formation, precursor infiltration, solvo-thermal reaction, and chemical etching. As a proof of the general applicability of this strategy, a series of inverse opal zirconium-based MOFs with intrinsic micro- and/or meso-pores, including UiO-66, MOF-808, NU-1200, NU-1000 and PCN-777, and tunable macropores (1 µm, 2 µm, 3 µm, 5 µm, and 10 µm), have been prepared with outstanding yields. These IO MOFs demonstrate significantly enhanced absorption rates and faster initial hydrolysis rates for organophosphorus (OPs) aggregates compared to those of the pristine MOFs. This work paves the way for the further development of hierarchically ordered MOFs for advanced applications.

Research Progress on Emerging Polysaccharide Materials Applied in Tissue Engineering

The development and application of polysaccharide materials are popular areas of research. Emerging polysaccharide materials have been widely used in tissue engineering fields such as in skin trauma, bone defects, cartilage repair and arthritis due to their stability, good biocompatibility and reproducibility. This paper reviewed the recent progress of the application of polysaccharide materials in tissue engineering. Firstly, we introduced polysaccharide materials and their derivatives and summarized the physicochemical properties of polysaccharide materials and their application in tissue engineering after modification. Secondly, we introduced the processing methods of polysaccharide materials, including the processing of polysaccharides into amorphous hydrogels, microspheres and membranes. Then, we summarized the application of polysaccharide materials in tissue engineering. Finally, some views on the research and application of polysaccharide materials are presented. The purpose of this review was to summarize the current research progress on polysaccharide materials with special attention paid to the application of polysaccharide materials in tissue engineering.

Dual-Colored Janus Microspheres with Photonic and Plasmonic Faces

Photonic and plasmonic colors, stemming from nanostructures of dielectric materials and metals, are promising for pigment-free coloration. In particular, nanostructures with structural colors have been employed in stimuli-responsive Janus microparticles to provide active color pixels. Here, the authors report a simple strategy to produce electro-responsive Janus microspheres composed of photonic and plasmonic faces for active color change. The photonic microspheres are first prepared by self-assembly of silica particles in emulsion droplets of photocurable resin. The silica particles form 3D crystalline arrays in the interior and 2D hexagonal arrays on the interface. The emulsion droplets are photocured and the silica particles are selectively removed to make porous photonic microspheres with hexagonal arrays of dimples on the surface. Directional deposition of gold or aluminum on the photonic microsphere develops plasmonic color on the top hemisphere while maintaining photonic color on the bottom hemisphere. Moreover, the metal deposited on one side renders the Janus microspheres electro-responsive. Therefore, the photonic and plasmonic colors are switchable by the orientation control of the Janus microspheres with an external electric field. The photonic and plasmonic colors are independently adjustable by employing two different sizes of silica particles in core-shell emulsion drops.

Current Understanding of the Applications of Photocrosslinked Hydrogels in Biomedical Engineering

Hydrogel materials have great application value in biomedical engineering. Among them, photocrosslinked hydrogels have attracted much attention due to their variety and simple convenient preparation methods. Here, we provide a systematic review of the biomedical-engineering applications of photocrosslinked hydrogels. First, we introduce the types of photocrosslinked hydrogel monomers, and the methods for preparation of photocrosslinked hydrogels with different morphologies are summarized. Subsequently, various biomedical applications of photocrosslinked hydrogels are reviewed. Finally, some shortcomings and development directions for photocrosslinked hydrogels are considered and proposed. This paper is designed to give researchers in related fields a systematic understanding of photocrosslinked hydrogels and provide inspiration to seek new development directions for studies of photocrosslinked hydrogels or related materials.

A SiO2 Microcarrier with an Opal-like Structure for Cross-Linked Enzyme Immobilization

The opal-like SiO₂ microcarriers with different pore diameters named opal-SiO₂I and opal-SiO₂II were synthesized and utilized as microcarriers to immobilize Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) and Aspergillus oryzae α-amylases (AOA). ROL and AOA can be more stably immobilized on the cross-linked SiO₂ opals by neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether (NGDE), which is the first attempt to use it as a cross-linking agent compared with glutaraldehyde. According to the morphology analysis, multiple layers of SiO₂ monodisperse microspheres were regularly packed and formed an opal-like structure, and enzymes were well scattered and immobilized throughout the SiO₂ opals. The results showed that the performance of enzymes immobilized on opal-SiO₂II with a larger specific surface area was much better than that of opal-SiO₂I. The enzyme activity of ROL@opal-SiO₂II and AOA@opal-SiO₂II cross-linked with 1% NGDE increased 5.32 and 9.32 times compared with their free counterpart, respectively. Furthermore, pH and thermal stability and reusability of ROL/AOA@opal-SiO₂II were significantly improved and higher than those of ROL/AOA@opal-SiO₂I and free enzymes. This study provides an easily obtained microcarrier opal-SiO₂II, which shows potential for efficient different enzyme immobilizations and further industrial applications.

Responsive Janus Structural Color Hydrogel Micromotors for Label-Free Multiplex Assays

Micromotors with self-propelling ability demonstrate great values in highly sensitive analysis. Developing novel micromotors to achieve label-free multiplex assay is particularly intriguing in terms of detection efficiency. Herein, structural color micromotors (SCMs) were developed and employed for this purpose. The SCMs were derived from phase separation of droplet templates and exhibited a Janus structure with two distinct sections, including one with structural colors and the other providing catalytic self-propelling functions. Besides, the SCMs were functionalized with ion-responsive aptamers, through which the interaction between the ions and aptamers resulted in the shift of the intrinsic color of the SCMs. It was demonstrated that the SCMs could realize multiplex label-free detection of ions based on their optical coding capacity and responsive behaviors. Moreover, the detection sensitivity was greatly improved benefiting from the autonomous motion of the SCMs which enhanced the ion-aptamer interactions. We anticipate that the SCMs can significantly promote the development of multiplex assay and biomedical fields.

Hydrogel, a novel therapeutic and delivery strategy, in the treatment of intrauterine adhesions

Intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) are caused by damage to the underlying lining of the endometrium. They' re related to disorder of endometrial repair. In recent years, hydrogels with controllable biological activity have been widely used for treating IUAs. They encapsulate estrogen, cytokines, cells, or exosomes, forming a delivery system to release therapeutic components for the treatment of IUAs. In addition, the hydrogel acting as a barrier can be degraded in the body automatically, reducing the risk of infection caused by secondary surgeries. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of hydrogels and their application in IUAs as both a novel alternative therapeutic and an artificial delivery strategy.

From colloidal particles to photonic crystals: advances in self-assembly and their emerging applications

Over the last three decades, photonic crystals (PhCs) have attracted intense interests thanks to their broad potential applications in optics and photonics. Generally, these structures can be fabricated via either "top-down" lithographic or "bottom-up" self-assembly approaches. The self-assembly approaches have attracted particular attention due to their low cost, simple fabrication processes, relative convenience of scaling up, and the ease of creating complex structures with nanometer precision. The self-assembled colloidal crystals (CCs), which are good candidates for PhCs, have offered unprecedented opportunities for photonics, optics, optoelectronics, sensing, energy harvesting, environmental remediation, pigments, and many other applications. The creation of high-quality CCs and their mass fabrication over large areas are the critical limiting factors for real-world applications. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art techniques in the self-assembly of colloidal particles for the fabrication of large-area high-quality CCs and CCs with unique symmetries. The first part of this review summarizes the types of defects commonly encountered in the fabrication process and their effects on the optical properties of the resultant CCs. Next, the mechanisms of the formation of cracks/defects are discussed, and a range of versatile fabrication methods to create large-area crack/defect-free two-dimensional and three-dimensional CCs are described. Meanwhile, we also shed light on both the advantages and limitations of these advanced approaches developed to fabricate high-quality CCs. The self-assembly routes and achievements in the fabrication of CCs with the ability to open a complete photonic bandgap, such as cubic diamond and pyrochlore structure CCs, are discussed as well. Then emerging applications of large-area high-quality CCs and unique photonic structures enabled by the advanced self-assembly methods are illustrated. At the end of this review, we outlook the future approaches in the fabrication of perfect CCs and highlight their novel real-world applications.

Hydrogel Properties and Their Impact on Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering

Hydrogels (HGs), as three-dimensional structures, are widely used in modern medicine, including regenerative medicine. The use of HGs in wound treatment and tissue engineering is a rapidly developing sector of medicine. The unique properties of HGs allow researchers to easily modify them to maximize their potential. Herein, we describe the physicochemical properties of HGs, which determine their subsequent applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Examples of chemical modifications of HGs and their applications are described based on the latest scientific reports.

Colloidal assembly in droplets: structures and optical properties

Colloidal assembly in emulsion drops provides fundamental tools for studying optimum particle arrangement under spherical confinement and practical means for producing photonic microparticles. Recent progress has revealed that energetically favored cluster configurations are different from conventional supraballs, which could enhance optical performance. This paper reviews state-of-the-art emulsion-templated colloidal clusters, and particularly focuses on recently reported novel structures such as icosahedral, decahedral, and single-crystalline face-centered cubic (fcc) clusters. We classify the clusters according to the number of component particles as small (N < O(10²)), medium (O(10²) ≤N≤O(10⁴)), and large (N≥O(10⁵)). For each size of clusters, we discuss the detailed structures, mechanisms of cluster formation, and optical properties and potential applications. Finally, we outline current challenges and questions that require further investigation.

Molecular Imprinted Polymers Coupled to Photonic Structures in Biosensors: The State of Art

Optical sensing, taking advantage of the variety of available optical structures, is a rapidly expanding area. Over recent years, whispering gallery mode resonators, photonic crystals, optical waveguides, optical fibers and surface plasmon resonance have been exploited to devise different optical sensing configurations. In the present review, we report on the state of the art of optical sensing devices based on the aforementioned optical structures and on synthetic receptors prepared by means of the molecular imprinting technology. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are polymeric receptors, cheap and robust, with high affinity and selectivity, prepared by a template assisted synthesis. The state of the art of the MIP functionalized optical structures is critically discussed, highlighting the key progresses that enabled the achievement of improved sensing performances, the merits and the limits both in MIP synthetic strategies and in MIP coupling.

Photonic crystal based biosensors: Emerging inverse opals for biomarker detection

Photonic crystal (PC)-based inverse opal (IO) arrays are one of the substrates for label-free sensing mechanism. IO-based materials with their advanced and ordered three-dimensional microporous structures have recently found attractive optical sensor and biological applications in the detection of biomolecules like proteins, DNA, viruses, etc. The unique optical and structural properties of IO materials can simplify the improvements in non-destructive optical study capabilities for point of care testing (POCT) used within a wide variety of biosensor research. In this review, which is an interdisciplinary investigation among nanotechnology, biology, chemistry and medical sciences, the recent fabrication methodologies and the main challenges regarding the application of (inverse opals) IOs in terms of their bio-sensing capability are summarized.

•

The recent main challenges regarding the application of inverse opals (IOs) in the detection of biomolecules are reviewed.

•

Sensing mechanisms of biomolecules including glucose, proteins, DNA, viruses were summarized.

•

IO materials with their ordered 3D microporous structures have found attractive optical biosensor applications.

Three-dimensional ordered macroporous magnetic photonic crystal microspheres for enrichment and detection of mycotoxins (I): Droplet-based microfluidic self-assembly synthesis

Ordered porous materials are attracting enormous attention due to their uniform pore structures, particularly the magnetic photonic crystal microspheres (PCMs) which not only possess unique photonic crystal structure but also can achieve separation easily based on magnet. Here, a two-phase microfluidic self-assembly synthetic system was established simply and employed for the preparation of three dimensional PCMs (3DPCMs) by using the emulsion droplet approach. One phase (dispersed phase) was an aqueous emulsion containing Fe₃O₄, silica (SiO₂) and polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles; another phase (continuous phase) was pure silicone oil. The droplets were formed by introducing the dispersed phase into the continuous phase through a tee valve. By heating the droplets, the water would evaporate and the nanoparticles would finally assemble into solid microspheres, which could be changed into macroporous 3DPCMs after removal of the PS nanoparticles by calcination. The contents and particle sizes of Fe₃O₄, SiO₂ and PS nanoparticles in the dispersed phase were investigated in detail and optimized to prepare macroporous magnetic 3DPCMs with high quality. The morphologies, surface crystal structure, magnetic property, particle size distribution, specific surface area and pore size of the macroporous magnetic 3DPCMs were characterized. The expected 3DPCM displayed regular and uniform photonic crystal structure, narrow particle size distribution and strong magnetic property. The macroporous magnetic 3DPCMs grafted with vomitoxin (DON)-antibodies could be applied for selective enrichment of DON in real samples.

Effect of eggshell membrane as porogen on the physicochemical structure and protease immobilization of chitosan-based macroparticles

Chitosan-based macroparticle is a common carrier for enzyme immobilization applied in food industry. Driven by the requirement of large carrier pores for the biomacromolecular substrates such as protein, the eggshell membrane powder (ESMP) was employed as multifunctional porogen to improve the physicochemical structure of chitosan-based macroparticles. The prepared macroparticles were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that an increase of ESMP percentage could improve the porosity of macro holes in macroparticles, and it also enlarged the size of mesopores. Moreover, the ESMP significantly increased (P < 0.05) the amount of papain immobilization, whereas the specific activity of immobilized papain achieved a maximum value of 871.95 U/mg at CSESM2 and then declined with the increase of ESMP. Therefore, the inclusion of 20 % ESMP in chitosan-based macroparticles gave the highest activity of its immobilized protease.

Photonic Crystal Stimuli-Responsive Chromatic Sensors: A Short Review

Photonic crystals (PhC) are spatially ordered structures with lattice parameters comparable to the wavelength of propagating light. Their geometrical and refractive index features lead to an energy band structure for photons, which may allow or forbid the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a limited frequency range. These unique properties have attracted much attention for both theoretical and applied research. Devices such as high-reflection omnidirectional mirrors, low-loss waveguides, and high- and low-reflection coatings have been demonstrated, and several application areas have been explored, from optical communications and color displays to energy harvest and sensors. In this latter area, photonic crystal fibers (PCF) have proven to be very suitable for the development of highly performing sensors, but one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) PhCs have been successfully employed, too. The working principle of most PhC sensors is based on the fact that any physical phenomenon which affects the periodicity and the refractive index of the PhC structure induces changes in the intensity and spectral characteristics of the reflected, transmitted or diffracted light; thus, optical measurements allow one to sense, for instance, temperature, pressure, strain, chemical parameters, like pH and ionic strength, and the presence of chemical or biological elements. In the present article, after a brief general introduction, we present a review of the state of the art of PhC sensors, with particular reference to our own results in the field of mechanochromic sensors. We believe that PhC sensors based on changes of structural color and mechanochromic effect are able to provide a promising, technologically simple, low-cost platform for further developing devices and functionalities.

Anisotropic structural color particles from colloidal phase separation

Structural color materials have been studied for decades because of their fascinating properties. Effects in this area are the trend to develop functional structural color materials with new components, structures, or morphologies for different applications. In this study, we found that the coassembled graphene oxide (GO) and colloid nanoparticles in droplets could form component phase separations, and thus, previously unknown anisotropic structural color particles (SCPs) with hemispherical colloidal crystal cluster and oblate GO component could be achieved. The anisotropic SCPs, as well as their inverse opal hydrogel derivatives, were endowed with brilliant structural colors and controllable capabilities of fixation, location, orientation, and even responsiveness due to their specific structure, morphology, and components. We have also demonstrated that the anisotropic hydrogel SCPs with these features were ideal candidates for dynamic cell monitoring and sensing. These properties indicate that the anisotropic SCPs and their derivatives have huge potential values in biomedical areas.

Self-assembly of colloids based on microfluidics

Self-assembly of colloids provides a powerful way for the construction of complex multi-scale materials. Microfluidic techniques possess great potential to precisely control the assembly of micro- and nano-scale building blocks via the rational design of various microfluidic environments. In this review, we first discuss the self-assembly of colloids without templates by using the laminar microfluidic technique. The self-assembly of colloids based on a droplet as a template was subsequently summarized and discussed via droplet microfluidic technique. Moreover, the evaporation-driven self-assembly of colloids in microfluidic channels has been discussed and analysed. Finally, the representative applications in this field have been pointed out. The aim of this review is to summarize the state-of-art on the self-assembly of colloids based on various microfluidic techniques, exhibit their representative applications, and point out the current challenges in this field, hoping to inspire and guide future work.

Three-dimensional ordered macroporous magnetic photonic crystal microspheres for enrichment and detection of mycotoxins (II): The application in liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector for mycotoxins

Enrichment, separation and purification are very important to accurately analyze mycotoxins in complicated samples. In the work, we developed a new enrichment, purification and high-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) for aflatoxins B₁ (AFB₁), ochratoxin A (OTA) and Zearalenone (ZEN) assay using the macroporous magnetic 3D photonic crystal microspheres (3DPCMs). The conditions of enrichment and purification for mycotoxins have been optimized, which are as follows: pore size of 3DPCMs at 280 nm, 1:1 methanol:acetonitrile (v/v) as eluent, antibody concentrations at 60 µg/mL,60 µg/mL and 120 µg/mL for OTA, AFB₁ and ZEN, respectively. The recovery rates in the rice, wheat and corn samples range from 70.01% to 100.12% and the relative standard deviation (RSD) range from 0.45% to 7.09%. The recovery rates used 3DPCMs are almost tenfold higher than that used non-macroporous PCMs in the same conditions. The developed method is simple, rapid (time including enrichment, purification and detection <2 h) and only requires small volume reagents (≤200 µL).

Using Hydrogel to Diversify the Adaptability and Applicability of Functional Nanoparticles: From Nanotech-Flavored Jellies to Artificial Enzymes

The use of hydrogel to accommodate nanoparticles is generally aimed at a synergetic integration of the peculiar electronic, photonic, magnetic, mechanical, and chemical properties of the nanoparticles with the stimuli-response of the hydrogels into unprecedented, smart, collective functions. The intrinsic water-borne nature of hydrogels further endorses the significant implications of such nanocomposites in biology and medicine. This article will be an account with a special accent on how to introduce nanoparticles within hydrogels and utilize the hydrogels to assist the nanoparticles to adapt themselves into different environments, with a large span of polarity ranging from orthodox aqueous media to unorthodox organic ones. The related technological developments and the associated fundamental issues will be discussed under the umbrella of enabling nanoparticle/hydrogel composites to emulate the unique catalytic performances of enzymes.

Inherently magnetic hydrogel for data storage based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect

In this data explosion age, a large amount of data is generated every day. Such a fast data growth has aroused great interest in the field of data storage. Conventional data storage materials are mainly composed of hard and brittle materials but they may break in the case of mechanical operations, causing irreversible data loss. In this work, efforts have been devoted to fabricating a flexible and stretchable double network hydrogel for data storage based on the magneto-optical Kerr effect. The hydrogel possesses a storage modulus of over 10⁴ Pa and remains unbroken under a strain of 3000%. The surface of the hydrogel is patterned with diamagnetic parts and paramagnetic parts alternately. When placed under a magnetic field, the surface of the hydrogel reflects the incident laser beam and changes the polarization plane of the reflected light. The outstanding flexibility and inherent magnetic properties of this hydrogel lay the groundwork for data storage and guarantee data safety.

Controlled Actuation of Liquid Marbles on a Dielectric

Motivated by the great potential of droplet microreactors for chemical and biological applications, a general and robust method utilizing an electric field is developed for sustained, directional and two-dimensional manipulation of nonwetting droplets (termed "liquid marbles"). With the understanding of the mechanism of actuation, this method allows individual liquid marbles to be actuated and coalesced on demand by fine-tuning the driving voltage. Moreover, in our system, cross-contamination between marbles during manipulation is avoided as confirmed by the absence of any trace DNA after amplification using a loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction.

Mesoporous Colloidal Photonic Crystal Particles for Intelligent Drug Delivery

Particle-based delivery systems demonstrate a pregnant value in the fields of drug research and development. Efforts to advance this technology focus on the fabrication of functional particles with enhanced efficiency and performance for drug delivery. Here, we present a new type of mesoporous colloidal photonic crystal particle (MCPCP)-based drug-delivery system with distinct features. As the MCPCPs were constructed by self-assembling monodisperse mesoporous nanoparticles in microfluidic droplet templates, they were composed of hierarchical macro- and mesoporous structures and could provide plenty of nanopores and interconnected nanochannels for synergistic loading of both micro- and macromolecule drugs with large quantity and sustained release. In addition, by integrating the stimuli-responsive poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel into the MCPCPs and employing it as a "gating" to control the opening of the macro- and mesopores, the MCPCP delivery systems were imparted with the function of controllable release. More attractively, as the average refractive index of the MCPCPs was decreased during the release of the loaded actives, the photonic band gaps of the MCPCPs blue-shifted correspondingly; this provided a novel stratagem for real-time self-reporting of the therapeutic agent release process of the MCPCPs. Hence, the MCPCPs are ideal for intelligent drug delivery because of these dramatical features.

Biomimetic enzyme cascade reaction system in microfluidic electrospray microcapsules

Mimicking subcellular compartments containing enzymes in organisms is considered a promising approach to substitute for missing or lost cellular functions. Inspired by the multicompartment structures of cellular architectures, we present a novel multienzyme system based on hollow hydrogel microcapsules with flexible enzymatic inverse opal particles. Benefiting from the precise operation capability of the microfluidic electrospray and the remarkable structural color marks in the inverse opal particles, we developed a multienzyme system with controllable number, type, and spatial arrangement of the encapsulated enzymes. The hydrogel shells also could improve enzyme stability against proteolysis in the system. The multienzyme system containing alcohol oxidase and catalase could act as a cascade biocatalyst and reduce alcohol levels in media, providing an alternative antidote and prophylactic for alcohol intoxication. These features indicated that our strategy provides an ideal enzyme cascade reaction system for complex biocatalysis and biomimetic functions of some organelles or organs.

Temperature-Responsive Hydrogel-Coated Gold Nanoshells

Gold nanoshells (~160 nm in diameter) were encapsulated within a shell of temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (P(NIPAM-co-AA)) using a surface-bound rationally-designed free radical initiator in water for the development of a photothermally-induced drug-delivery system. The morphologies of the resultant hydrogel-coated nanoshells were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the temperature-responsive behavior of the nanoparticles was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The diameter of the P(NIPAM-co-AA) encapsulated nanoshells decreased as the solution temperature was increased, indicating a collapse of the hydrogel layer with increasing temperatures. In addition, the optical properties of the composite nanoshells were studied by UV-visible spectroscopy. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of the hydrogel-coated nanoshells appeared at ~800 nm, which lies within the tissue-transparent range that is important for biomedical applications. Furthermore, the periphery of the particles was conjugated with the model protein avidin to modify the hydrogel-coated nanoshells with a fluorescent-tagged biotin, biotin-4-fluorescein (biotin-4-FITC), for colorimetric imaging/monitoring.

Multi-functional organosilane-polymerized carbon dot inverse opals

This paper demonstrates multi-functional optical properties of organosilane-polymerized carbon dot inverse opals, such as tricolor-fluorescence, fluorescence enhancement, multi-color micro-patterns for anti-fake applications and a thermally-induced blueshift of bandgaps. It is of significance for the design and fabrication of novel optical devices.

Non-dye cell viability monitoring by using pH-responsive inverse opal hydrogels

Recent advances in the field of drug screening focus on accurate, rapid and high-throughput screening methods. In our work, hydrogel inverse opal photonic crystal microspheres (HPCMs) were fabricated through a templating method and exhibited a robust and reversible response to temperature and pH. The response performance was tested under various temperature (25-55 °C) and pH (1.5-7.5) conditions and the reflective peak shifted noticeably within the visible wavelength range. Furthermore, HPCMs were used as drug delivery carriers and not only displayed high doxorubicin (DOX) drug loading but also presented thermo/pH-induced drug release properties. More importantly, these carriers were shown to be good reporters for monitoring cell viability due to their tunable colour variation. This capability was applied to H460 cell cultures with or without DOX. The structure colour of HPCMs varied in different cell culture microenvironments, and cell apoptosis was able to be distinguished. In this way, this fast, non-dyeing method for reporting cell viability in tumour cytotoxicity assays has potential in the field of drug screening and may give new insights into the use of structural colour to report results in drug screening systems.

Antibacterial Structural Color Hydrogels

Structural color hydrogels with lasting survivability are important for many applications, but they still lack anti-biodegradation capability. Thus, we herein present novel antibacterial structural color hydrogels by simply integrating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in situ into the hydrogel materials. Because the integrated AgNPs possessed wide and excellent antibacterial abilities, the structural color hydrogels could prevent bacterial adhesion, avoid hydrogel damage, and maintain their vivid structural colors during their application and storage. It was demonstrated that the AgNP-tagged poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) structural color hydrogels could retain their original thermal-responsive color transition even when the AgNP-free hydrogels were degraded by bacteria and that the AgNP-integrated self-healing structural color protein hydrogels could save their self-repairing property instead of being degraded by bacteria. These features indicated that the antibacterial structural color hydrogels could be amenable to a variety of practical biomedical applications.