title: Flow-directed assembly of block copolymer vesicles in the lab-on-a-chip.
abstract: We demonstrate a microfluidic approach to the production of block copolymer vesicles via flow-directed self-assembly in a segmented gas-liquid device. Chemical conditions that favor spherical micelles in the bulk are found to yield a nearly pure population of vesicles on a chip-a transformation of two full morphological steps-because of a coalescence mechanism enabled by high shear. The production of polymeric vesicles via top-down control in a microfluidic device enables new processing routes to applications including drug delivery formulations in the lab-on-a-chip.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Chih-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Aman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bains
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sinton
authors.forename: Matthew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Moffitt
mesh_terms: D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers