Fabrication of PAA-PETPTA Janus Microspheres with Respiratory Function for Controlled Release of Guests with Different Sizes

Poly(acrylic acid)-poly(ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate) (PAA-PETPTA) Janus microspheres with "respiratory" function for controlled release were prepared by polymerization of acrylic acid-ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (AA-ETPTA) Janus microdroplets in a continuous oil phase in a simple capillary-based microfluidic device with the assistance of UV radiation. The flow rate ratios of AA and ETPTA phases and surfactant content in the continuous oil phase have a significant effect on the structure of the Janus microspheres. PAA part in the Janus microspheres has respiratory function for loading and release due to the different stimuli responses to different pHs. The hollow structure of PETPTA part with different sizes of opening serves as the host materials for PAA and could control release rate further due to the different opening sizes. The obtained PAA-PETPTA Janus microspheres showed high rhodamine B (RhB) loading of 860 mg g^-1 and different controlled-release behavior in water with different pHs. The release rate increases with the increase of pH and the contact area of PAA part with water. The maximum controlled-release time for RhB was about 3 h in water with pH of 5. In addition, the Janus microspheres also showed controlled-release behavior for larger size guests, e.g., 150 nm polystyrene beads, which indicated a wide range of application. The loading and release behaviors for guests, for instance, for RhB, have almost no change even after six times of reuse, which indicated a high stability.

Functional Microcapsules with Hybrid Shells Made via Sol-Gel Reaction within Double Emulsions

Microcapsules with organic-inorganic hybrid shells can be used as functionally responsive delivery systems that are attractive for a broad range of applications. Hybrid-shell microcapsules have often been synthesized by the assembly of solid inorganic nanoparticles and polymers. Efforts to extend this approach to microfluidic emulsification have been hampered by problems with clogging and flow instabilities when utilizing dispersions of solid particles. In this work, hybrid shell microcapsules are synthesized through the reaction of liquid precursors, eliminating the use of solid dispersions. Our microfluidic water-oil-water emulsification technique also enables the preparation of hybrid-shell microcapsules with thicker and more robust shells compared to alternative techniques. By utilizing bridged-silane precursors to form the hybrid material, we demonstrate hybrid-shell microcapsules with independently tunable functional and mechanical/barrier properties. This independent tuning of physical and functional properties allows for the production of functional organic-inorganic hybrid shell microcapsules that can be tailored to meet the demands of a wide range of applications.