title: Formation of monodisperse calcium alginate microbeads by rupture of water-in-oil-in-water droplets with an ultra-thin oil phase layer.
abstract: This paper reports a novel formation method of monodisperse calcium alginate microbeads from water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) droplets with an ultra-thin oil phase layer. W/O/W droplets containing sodium alginate in an internal aqueous phase were formed as a template of calcium alginate microbeads using a microfluidic device. The ultra-thin oil phase layer of the W/O/W droplets was ruptured by an osmotic pressure difference between the internal and external aqueous phase. Immediately after the rupture, polyanionic alginate in the internal aqueous phase was cross-linked with calcium ion diffused from the external aqueous phase, and monodisperse and spherical calcium alginate microbeads were formed.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanamori
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Sosaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D008863:Microspheres; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D009821:Oils; D014867:Water; D020723:Glucuronic Acid