title: Hollow polymer shells from biological templates: fabrication and potential applications.
abstract: Three-dimensional ultrathin polymer shells have been produced by a combination of step-by-step adsorption of polyelectrolytes on glutaraldehyde-treated human erythrocytes and subsequent solubilization of the cytoplasmatic constituents by means of a deproteinizing agent. The obtained hollow films preserve both the size and shape of the templating cells. This opens a pathway for the fabrication of polymeric capsules within a wide range of size and shape by using various biological templates. They may have exciting potential applications, such as templates for nanocomposites, as containers for a large class of materials, or as cages for chemical reactions. The thickness of the films can be adjusted over a large range: from a few nm up to several tens of nm. The polymer shells are permeable to small molecules and ions but not to macromolecules. An increase in the ionic strength of the solution up to 100 mmol make the capsules permeable for proteins. Permeability and conductivity studies have provided evidence that the adsorption of lipids on polyelectrolyte layers is a means of producing capsules with controlled permeability properties. 6-Carboxyfluorescein and Rhodamin 6G were precipitated within the capsules.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. done@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Donath
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.forename: Gleb B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Sukhorukov
authors.forename: Radostina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Georgieva
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bäumler
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kiesewetter
authors.forename: Helmuth
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Möhwald
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D002214:Capsules; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005976:Glutaral / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D004573:Electrolytes; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011108:Polymers; D005976:Glutaral