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Preparation of Multicore Colloidosomes: Nanoparticle-Assembled Capsules with Adjustable Size, Internal Structure, and Functionalities for Oil Encapsulation.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Brossault, David FF 
McCoy, Thomas M 

Abstract

Colloidosomes, also known as Pickering emulsion capsules, have attracted attention for encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic actives. However, current preparation methods are limited to single core structures and require the use of modified/engineered nanoparticles for forming the shell. Here, we report a fast, simple, and versatile method for producing multi-oil core silica colloidosomes via salt-driven assembly of purely hydrophilic commercial nanoparticles dispersed within an oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsion template. The internal structure and overall diameter of the capsules can be adjusted by altering the primary and secondary emulsification conditions. With this approach, 7-35 μm diameter multicore colloidosomes containing 0.9-4.2 μm large oil cores were produced. The capsules can easily be functionalized depending on the type of nanoparticles used in the preparation process. Here, metal oxide nanoparticles, such as Fe3O4, TiO2, and ZnO, were successfully incorporated within the structure, conferring specific functional properties (i.e., magnetism and photocatalysis) to the final microcapsules. These capsules can also be ruptured by using ultrasound, enabling easy access to the internal core environments. Therefore, we believe this work offers a promising approach for producing multicore colloidosomes with adjustable structure and functionalities for the encapsulation of hydrophobic actives.

Description

Keywords

double emulsion, magnetism, multicore colloidosome, nanoparticle, oil encapsulation, photocatalysis, self-assembly

Journal Title

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1944-8244
1944-8252

Volume Title

Publisher

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P030467/1)
W D Armstrong PhD studentship Oppenheimer fund fellowship