Novel Preparation Method for Obtaining pH-Responsive Core−Shell Microcapsule Reactors

Trivalent Cations Detection of Magnetic-Sensitive Microcapsules by Controlled-Release Fluorescence Off-On Sensor

A pyrene-based derivative, 2-((pyrene-1-ylmethylene)amino)ethanol (PE) nanoparticle, was encapsulated via water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion with the solvent evaporation method by one-pot reaction and utilized as a fluorescence turn-on sensor for detecting Fe³⁺, Cr³⁺, and Al³⁺ ions. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) embedded in polycaprolactone (PCL) were used as the magnetic-sensitive polyelectrolyte microcapsule-triggered elements in the construction of the polymer matrix. The microcapsules were characterized by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and photoluminescence (PL) titrations, quantum yield (Φ_f) calculations, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry (SQUID) studies. This novel responsive release of the microcapsule fluorescence of the turn-on sensor for detecting trivalent cations was due to the compound PE and the MNPs being incorporated well within the whole system, and an effective thermal and kinetic energy transfer between the core and shell structure efficiently occurred in the externally oscillating magnetic field. The magnetic-sensitive fluorescence turn-on microcapsules show potential for effective metal ion sensing in environmental monitoring and even biomedical applications. Under the optimal controlled-release probe fluorescence conditions with high-frequency magnetic field treatment, the limit of detection (LOD) reached 1.574–2.860 μM and recoveries ranged from 94.7–99.4% for those metals in tap water.

ABC triblock terpolymers exhibiting both temperature- and pH-sensitive micellar aggregation and gelation in aqueous solution

Two poly(ethylene-alt-propylene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PEP-PEO-P(NIPAm-co-AA)) triblock terpolymers were synthesized by a combination of anionic and RAFT polymerizations, followed by acid hydrolysis. Micellar aggregation and gelation behavior in aqueous solutions were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and rheology, respectively. DLS measurements on dilute solutions revealed that the triblock terpolymers form micelles with PEP cores and PEO-P(NIPAm-co-AA) coronae at room temperature and undergo a micelle to micellar aggregate transition upon heating. Rheological measurements showed that micellar aggregation manifests itself as gelation at higher concentrations (~4 wt %). The observed thermoresponsive aggregation and gelation is due to the intermicellar association of P(NIPAm-co-AA) blocks in the coronae above the lower critical solution temperature of the P(NIPAm-co-AA) block. The critical micellar aggregation and gelation temperatures are controlled by the mole fraction and degree of acrylic acid (AA) ionization in the P(NIPAm-co-AA) block, and therefore they can be modulated as functions of both pH and AA content in the polymer.

Biomimetic smart interface materials for biological applications

Controlling the surface chemical and physical properties of materials and modulating the interfacial behaviors of biological entities, e.g., cells and biomolecules, are central tasks in the study of biomaterials. In this context, smart polymer interface materials have recently attracted much interest in biorelated applications and have broad prospects due to the excellent controllability of their surface properties by external stimuli. Among such materials, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and its copolymer films are especially attractive due to their reversible hydrogen-bonding-mediated reversible phase transition, which mimics natural biological processes. This platform is promising for tuning surface properties or to introduce novel biofunctionalities via copolymerization with various functional units and/or combination with other materials. Important progress in this field in recent years is highlighted.

Magnetoresponsive smart capsules formed with polyelectrolytes, lipid bilayers and magnetic nanoparticles

Magnetoresponsive smart capsules formed with polyelectrolytes, lipid bilayers and magnetic nanoparticles were fabricated by a colloid-templating technique. Melamine-formaldehyde core particles with polyelectrolyte multilayer shell were prepared by layer-by-layer assembly. Magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles were selectively deposited on the capsular surface by aqueous solution deposition using Pd catalysts. Hollow capsules were obtained by the removal of the melamine formaldehyde core particles. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurement of the capsules revealed the ferromagnetic behavior of deposited Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. Alternating magnetic field irradiation generates heat in the capsular dispersion. Additional lipid bilayer coating was carried out on the obtained hollow capsules. Dye molecules were loaded by exploiting the temperature-dependence of the lipid membrane permeability. An encapsulated dye was released on-demand by irradiation with an alternating magnetic field, due to a phase transition in the lipid membrane, induced by heating of the magnetic nanoparticles. The magnetically induced release is attributed to the phase transition of the lipid membrane, caused by heat of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles under magnetic stimuli, and not to rupture of the capsules.

The Fabrication and Progress of Core-Shell Composite Materials

Core-shell materials, in which a layer or multilayer of inorganic or organic material surrounds an inorganic or organic particle core, have been investigated both as a means to improve the stability and surface chemistry of the core particle and as a way of accessing unique physical and chemical properties that are not possible from one material alone. As a result, the fabrication of core-shell particles is attracting a great deal of interest because of their unique properties and potential applicability in catalysis, semiconductors, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, molecular recognition, chemical sensing, etc. As evidenced by the literature described and discussed in this review, a basic understanding of the mechanism and recent progress in production methods have enabled the fabrication of core-shell particles with unique and tailored properties for various applications in materials science.

Microcapsules with macroholes prepared by the competitive adsorption of surfactants on emulsion droplet surfaces

We demonstrate a simple, unique method for preparing microcapsules with holes in their shells. Cross-linked polymelamine microcapsules are prepared by the phase-separation method. The holey shell of each microcapsule is synthesized on the surface of an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion droplet where a water-soluble polymeric surfactant and an oil-soluble surfactant are competitively adsorbed. The water-soluble polymeric surfactant provides a reaction site for shell formation. The oil-soluble surfactant molecules seem to self-assemble while the shells are being formed, so holes appear where they assemble. The critical degree of surface coverage of an emulsion droplet by the water-soluble polymeric surfactant needed to form the holey shells is determined to be 0.90 from theoretical calculations in which competitive adsorption is considered. Theoretical consideration suggests that the size and quantity of the holes in the microcapsule shells are controlled by the composition of the surfactants adsorbed on the surface of an emulsion droplet. This theoretical consideration is confirmed by experiments. The prepared microcapsule with controllable macroholes in its shell has the potential to be used for controlled release applications and can be used to fabricate a microcapsule that encapsulates hydrophilic compounds.

Controlled rupture of magnetic polyelectrolyte microcapsules for drug delivery

In this study, a magnetic-sensitive microcapsule was prepared using Fe 3O 4/poly(allylamine) (Fe 3O 4/PAH) polyelectrolyte to construct the shell. Structural integrity, microstructural evolution, and corresponding release behaviors of fluorescence dyes and doxorubicin were systematically investigated. Experimental observations showed that the presence of the magnetic nanoparticles in the shell structure allowed the shell structure to evolve from nanocavity development to final rupture of the shell under a given magnetic stimulus of different time durations. Such a microstructural evolution of the magnetic sensitive shell structure explained a corresponding variation of the drug release profile, from relatively slow release to burst-like behavior at different stages of stimulus. It has proposed that the presence of magnetic nanoparticles produced heat, due to magnetic energy dissipation (as Brown and Neel relaxations), and mechanical vibration and motion that induced stress development in the thin shell. Both mechanisms significantly accelerated the relaxation of the shell structure, causing such a microstructural evolution. With such a controllable microstructural evolution of the magnetic-sensitive shell structure, active substances can be well-regulated in a manageable manner with a designable profile according to the time duration under magnetic field. A cell culture study also indicated that the magnetic-sensitive microcapsules allowed a rapid uptake by the A549 cell line, a cancerous cell line, suggesting that the magnetic-sensitive microcapsule with controllable rupturing behavior of the shell offers a potential and effective drug carrier for anticancer applications.