title: Anisotropic micro- and nano-capsules.
abstract: In this work, we introduce anisotropically shaped, ultrathin micro- and nano-capsules fabricated by layer-by-layer approach. The original cubic and tetrahedral shapes of the template particles were replicated to produce hollow capsules with well-defined edges. Introducing tannic acid as a component of LbL shells resulted in enhanced chemical stability of these hollow polymer structures under a wide pH range due to high pK(a) value. Computational studies demonstrated increased mechanical stability of the anisotropic capsules under osmotic pressure variation due to sharp edges and vertices acting as a reinforcing frame in contrast to spherical microcapsules that undergo random buckling.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shchepelina
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kozlovskaya
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kharlampieva
authors.forename: Wenbin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alexeev
authors.forename: Vladimir V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Tsukruk