Repository logo
 

Microfluidic Droplet-Facilitated Hierarchical Assembly for Dual Cargo Loading and Synergistic Delivery.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Change log

Authors

Zheng, Yu 
Parker, Richard M 
Wu, Yuchao 

Abstract

Bottom-up hierarchical assembly has emerged as an elaborate and energy-efficient strategy for the fabrication of smart materials. Herein, we present a hierarchical assembly process, whereby linear amphiphilic block copolymers are self-assembled into micelles, which in turn are accommodated at the interface of microfluidic droplets via cucurbit[8]uril-mediated host-guest chemistry to form supramolecular microcapsules. The monodisperse microcapsules can be used for simultaneous carriage of both organic (Nile Red) and aqueous-soluble (fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran) cargo. Furthermore, the well-defined compartmentalized structure benefits from the dynamic nature of the supramolecular interaction and offers synergistic delivery of cargos with triggered release or through photocontrolled porosity. This demonstration of premeditated hierarchical assembly, where interactions from the molecular to microscale are designed, illustrates the power of this route toward accessing the next generation of functional materials and encapsulation strategies.

Description

Keywords

cucurbit[8]uril, dual cargo delivery, hierarchical assembly, microcapsules, microfluidic droplets, Capsules, Drug Delivery Systems, Drug Synergism, Humans, Macrocyclic Compounds, Micelles, Microfluidics, Polymers

Journal Title

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1944-8244
1944-8252

Volume Title

8

Publisher

American Chemical Society (ACS)
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/H046593/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K039520/1)
European Research Council (240629)
European Research Council (297504)
This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Institutional Sponsorship 2012-University of Cambridge EP/K503496/1 and the Translational Grant EP/H046593/1; Y. Zheng and R. Parker were also funded from the European Research Council Starting Investigator grant ASPiRe (No. 240629) and the Isaac Newton Trust research grant No. 13.7(c). R. Coulston received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Proof of Concept Grant Agreement n. 297504; Y. Lan is supported by the CSC Cambridge Scholarship.