title: Polymersomes containing a hydrogel network for high stability and controlled release.
abstract: Capillary microfluidic devices are used to prepare monodisperse polymersomes consisting of a hydrogel core and a bilayer membrane of amphiphilic diblock-copolymers. To make polymersomes, water-in-oil-in-water double-emulsion drops are prepared as templates through single-step emulsification in a capillary microfluidic device. The amphiphile-laden middle oil phase of the double-emulsion drop dewets from the surface of the innermost water drop, which contains hydrogel prepolymers; this dewetting leads to the formation of a bilayer membrane. Subsequently, the oil phase completely separates from the innermost water drop, leaving a polymersome. Upon UV illumination of the polymersome, the prepolymers encapsulated within the interior are crosslinked, forming a hydrogel core. The hydrogel network within the polymersomes facilitates sustained release of the encapsulated materials and increases the stability of the polymersomes through the formation of a scaffold to support the bilayer. In addition, this approach provides a facile method to make monodisperse hydrogel particles directly dispersed in water.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. kim.sh@kaist.ac.kr
authors.forename: Shin-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Do-Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Weitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004655:Emulsions; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D044085:Microfluidics; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D009821:Oils; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004655:Emulsions; D020100:Hydrogels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D009821:Oils; D011108:Polymers; D014867:Water; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate