Elasticity of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules

We present a novel approach to probe elastic properties of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules. The method is based on measurements of the capsule load-deformation curves with the atomic force microscope. The experiment suggests that at low applied load deformations of the capsule shell are elastic. Using elastic theory of membranes we relate force, deformation, elastic moduli, and characteristic sizes of the capsule. Fitting to the prediction of the model yields the lower limit for Young's modulus of the polyelectrolyte multilayers of the order of 1-100 MPa, depending on the template and solvent used for its dissolution. These values correspond to Young's modulus of an elastomer.     

Salt softening of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules

By using a combination of atomic force and confocal microscopy, we explore the effect of 1:1 electrolyte (NaCl) on the stiffness of polyelectrolyte microcapsules. We study the "hollow" and "filled" (with polystyrene sulfonate) capsules. In both cases the shells are composed of layers of alternating polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH). The stiffness of both "hollow" and "filled" capsules was found to be largest in water. It decreases with salt concentration up to approximately 3 mol/L and gets quasi-constant in more concentrated solutions. The "filled" capsules are always stiffer than "hollow." The observed softening correlates with the salt-induced changes in morphology of the multilayer shells detected with the scanning electron microscopy. It is likely that at concentrations below approximately 3 mol/L the multilayer shell is in a "tethered" state, so that the increase in salt concentration leads to a decrease in number of ionic cross-links and, as a result, in the stiffness. In contrast, above the critical concentration of approximately 3 mol/L multilayer shells might be in a new, "melted," state. Here the multilayer structure is still retained, but sufficient amount of ionic cross-links is broken, so that further increase in salt concentration does not change the capsule mechanics. These ideas are consistent with a moderate swelling of multilayers at concentrations below approximately 3 mol/L and significant decrease in their thickness in more concentrated solutions measured with surface plasmon spectroscopy.     

Hollow polyelectrolyte multilayer tubes: mechanical properties and shape changes

In this paper, novel hollow polyelectrolyte multilayer tubes from poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) were prepared: Readily available glass fiber templates are coated with polyelectrolytes using the layer-by-layer technique, followed by subsequent fiber dissolution. Depending on the composition of the polymeric multilayer, stable hollow tubes or tubes showing a pearling instability are observed. This instability corresponds to the Rayleigh instability and is a consequence of an increased mobility of the polyelectrolyte chains within the multilayer. The well-defined stable tubes were characterized with fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The tubes were found to be remarkably free of defects, which results in an impermeable tube wall for even low molecular weight molecules. The mechanical properties of the tubes were determined with AFM force spectroscopy in water, and because continuum mechanical models apply, the Young's modulus of the wall material was determined. Additionally, scaling relations for the dependency of tube stiffness on diameter and wall thickness were validated. Because both parameters can be experimentally controlled by our approach, the deformability of the tubes can be varied over a broad range and adjusted for the particular needs.     

Disintegration-controllable stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules via covalent layer-by-layer assembly

The disintegration-controllable stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules have been fabricated via the covalent layer-by-layer assembly between the amino groups of chitosan (CS) and the aldehyde groups of the oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) onto the sacrificial templates (polystyrene sulfonate, PSS) which was removed by dialysis subsequently. The covalent crosslinking bonds of the multilayer microcapsules were confirmed by FTIR analysis. The TEM analysis showed that the diameter of the multilayer microcapsules was <200nm. The diameter of the multilayer microcapsules decreased with the increasing of the pH values or the ionic strength. The pH and ionic strength dual-responsive multilayer microcapsules were stable in acidic and neutral media while they could disintegrate only at strong basic media.     

Effect of pH and salt on the stiffness of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules

By using a combination of atomic force and confocal microscopy, we explore the effect of pH and salt on the stiffness of polyelectrolyte microcapsules with shells composed of strong polyanions and weak polycations. The stiffness of the capsules was found to be largest in water. It decreases slightly with added salt and gets much smaller both in acidic and in alkaline solutions. The moderate softening of the capsules in electrolyte solutions indicates that even high salt concentration does not significantly dissociate polyelectrolytes in the multilayer. The dramatic softening of the capsules at high pH probably reflects a decrease in the charge density of a polycation, which leads to a reduction in the number of ionic cross-links. In contrast, low stiffness of the capsules in acidic solutions seems to be connected mostly with the enhanced permeability of the multilayer shell.     

Light-responsive polyelectrolyte/gold nanoparticle microcapsules

We report the preparation and characterization of light-responsive delivery vehicles, microcapsules composed of multiple polyelectrolyte layers and light-absorbing gold nanoparticles. The nanostructured capsules were loaded with macromolecules (fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran) by exploiting the pH-dependence of the shell permeability, and the encapsulated material was released on demand upon irradiation with short (10 ns) laser pulses in the near-infrared (1064 nm). In addition, the polyelectrolyte multilayer shell was modified with lipids (dilauroylphosphatidylethanolamine) and then functionalized with ligands (monoclonal immunoglobulin G antibodies) for the purposes of enhanced stability and targeted delivery, respectively. We anticipate that these capsules will find application in a range of areas where controlled delivery is desirable.     

Nanomechanical properties of polyaniline and azo polyelectrolyte multilayer films

<正>Nanomechanical properties of multilayer films constructed of polyaniline(PANI) and azobeneze-containing polyelectrolytes(PNACN and PPAPE) were studied by using nanoindentation method.The multilayer films were prepared by the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly through alternately dipping in the polymer solutions.The multilayer films deposited onto the glass slides after proper dry were used for the nanomechanical property testing.The nanomechanical measurement indicated that the PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE multilayers possessed the mean elastic modulus of 5.42 GPa and 4.35 GPa,and hardness of 0.26 GPa and 0.18 GPa,respectively.The nanoscratch properties of the PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE multilayer films were also measured.The critical loads of PANI/PNACN and PANI/PPAPE films were 103.52 mN and 100.59 mN.The degree of electrostatic cross-linking in the multilayers could be altered by exposing the films to aqueous solutions with different pH values.As a result,the modulus and hardness of the multilayer films were changed through the solvent treatment.Both modulus and hardness of the PANI/PNACN films obviously increased after dipping the multilayer films in solutions with pH in a range from 9 to 11.     

Manipulating the properties of coacervated polyelectrolyte microcapsules by chemical crosslinking

The properties of coacervated sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) microcapsules were manipulated by glutaraldehyde crosslinking at mild conditions. Although the crosslinking took place only between the PAH component, only 10% of PSS was lost from the 2-h crosslinked microcapsules. Significant variation in terms of capsule morphology, diameter, and wall thickness was not found by scanning electron microscopy and scanning force microscopy. Although all the microcapsules were not affected by annealing at 70 °C and incubation in 0.1 M HCl for 2 h, the crosslinked microcapsules indeed showed strong ability to resist osmotic-induced capsule invagination. Also, the 20-min and 2-h crosslinked capsule walls have elasticity modulii of 166 and 200 MPa, respectively, which are both larger than that of the original one (140 MPa). The crosslinked microcapsules also showed good stability in 0.01 M NaOH solution and poorer permeability for a large fluorescent probe.     

pH-responsive properties of hollow polyelectrolyte microcapsules templated on various cores

Hollow polyelectrolyte microcapsules made of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and sodium poly(styrene sulfonate), templated on various cores, manganese and calcium carbonate particles or polystyrene latexes, were investigated. The polyelectrolyte multilayers respond to a change of pH, leading to a swelling of the capsules in basic conditions and a further shrinking when the pH is reduced to acidic. The nature of the core and the subsequent dissolution process have an influence on this pH responsiveness, and the structuring effect of tetrahydrofuran on the multilayers has been demonstrated. Increasing the molecular weight of the polymers or the number of layers causes also a rigidification of the structure and modifies the pH response.     

Synthesis and functionalization of monodisperse poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel microspheres within polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules

Polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules were used as templates to prepare monodisperse poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel microspheres, which can react with amine-bearing molecules.     

Thermal behavior of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules: 2. Insight into molecular mechanisms for the PDADMAC/PSS system

Polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules consisting of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) were used as a model system to study the temperature-dependent behavior of polyelectrolyte multilayer films in aqueous media. Shells terminated with PSS shrink upon heating, whereas PDADMAC-terminated ones swell, independent of the nature of the first layer, as measured by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Elemental analysis shows that the initial exponential layer growth of the film leads to a nearly neutral overall charge in the first case or a high positive excess charge in the latter. Depending on this overall charge either surface tension, due to an unfavorable polymer-solvent interaction, or electrostatics dominates, resulting in a shrinkage or expansion of capsules, respectively. Thus, it is possible to swell temperature-shrunk capsules by coating them with an additional PDADMAC layer. Micro-DSC measurements prove that polyelectrolyte multilayers undergo a glass transition in water at which the wall material softens, allowing the rearrangements to occur. It is found that the thermal history has an influence on the temperature behavior of capsules, especially on those ones terminated with PDADMAC. Also, the molecular weight of the polyelectrolytes affects the rearrangement of capsules. The lower the molecular weight and thus the smaller the entanglement of chains, the easier polyelectrolytes can rearrange.     

Charge-controlled permeability of polyelectrolyte microcapsules

Multilayer microcapsules showing unique charge-controlled permeability have been successfully fabricated by employing poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)-doped CaCO3 particles as templates. Encapsulation of the PSS molecules is thus achieved after core removal. Scanning force microscopy (SFM), UV-vis, Raman spectroscopy, and zeta-potential confirm the existence of the PSS molecules in the CaCO3 particles and the resultant microcapsules, which are initially incorporated during the core fabrication process. A part of these additionally introduced PSS molecules interacts with PAH molecules residing on the inner surface of the multilayer wall to form a stable complex, while the other part is intertwined in the capsule wall or in a free state. Capsules with this structure possess many special features, such as highly sensitive permeability tuned by probe charge and environmentally controlled gating. They can completely reject negatively charged probes, but attract positively charged species to form a higher concentration in the capsule interior, as evidenced by confocal microscopy. For example, the capsules completely exclude dextran labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-dextran), but are permeable for dextran labeled with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC-dextran) having similar molecular mass (from 4 to 70 kDa), although there are only few charged dyes in a dextran chain. By reversing the charge of the probes through pH change, or by suppressing charge repulsion through salt addition, the permeation can be readily switched for proteins such as albumin or small dyes such as fluorescein sodium salt.     

Thermal behavior of polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules. 1. The effect of odd and even layer number

The temperature-dependent behavior of hollow polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules consisting of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) with a different number of layers was investigated in aqueous media using confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and elemental analysis. Capsules with an even number of layers exhibited a pronounced shrinking at elevated temperature resulting in a transition to a dense sphere, whereas capsules with an odd number of layers swelled during heating to 5-fold of their initial size followed by their rupture. This effect increases for odd layer numbers and decreases for even layer numbers with increasing layer number. According to elemental analysis, an excess of PDADMAC monomers exists within the multilayers of capsules with an odd number of layers leading to a repulsion between the positive charges, whereas shells with an even number of layers have a balanced ratio between the oppositely charged polyions, so that the temperature-dependent behavior is controlled by the different interactions between polyelectrolytes and the bulk water. At a certain temperature, the polyelectrolyte material softens thus facilitating any rearrangement. Besides incubation temperature, the duration of heating has an influence on the restructuring of the multilayers.     

Silver nanocomposite layer-by-layer films based on assembled polyelectrolyte/dendrimer

Silver nanocomposite multilayer films were prepared through the in situ method. Multilayer thin films, prepared through the sequential electrostatic deposition of a positively charged third-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) and negatively charged poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), were utilized as nanoreactors for the formation of silver nanoparticles. The silver ions were preorganized in layer-by-layer (LBL) films composed of PAMAM dendrimers and subsequently reduced with hydrogen to prepare the silver nanoparticles. The UV-vis spectrum and profilometer were used to characterize the regular growth of bilayers. UV-vis absorption from plasmon resonance at 435 nm and TEM images indicated the formation of the silver nanoparticles in the multilayer films. The silver nanocomposite LBL films were also constructed on the indium tin oxide-glass and investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The silver nanoparticles in the multilayer films have a stronger negative redox potential. The silver nanocomposite LBL films may have a potential application in the catalysis of reduction of 4-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride.     

Tuning the mechanical properties of silica microcapsules

Heat treatment is a standard method to increase the hardness of silica in various applications. Here, we tested the effect of high temperature annealing on the mechanical properties of silica microcapsules by force spectroscopy under point loads applied to the particle shell. The Young's modulus of the shells moderately increases after annealing at temperatures above 500 °C. Temperatures over 850 °C result in a much stronger increase and the Young's modulus is close to that of fused silica after annealing at 1100 °C. NMR analysis revealed that in untreated microcapsules synthesized by seeded growth using the St?ber method only 55% of the silicon atoms form siloxane bonds with four neighbors, whereas the remaining ones only form three or less siloxane bonds each and, thus, a large number of ethoxy and silanol groups still exist. During annealing at 500 °C, these are successively transformed into siloxane bonds through condensation reactions. This process correlates with only a moderate increase in Young's modulus. The strong increase at temperatures above 850 °C was associated with a densification which was associated by a decrease in capsule size and shell thickness while the shells remained homogenous and of spherical shape. The main strengthening of the shells is thus mainly due to compaction by sintering at length scales significantly larger than that of local siloxane bonds.     

Preparation and mechanical properties of thermal energy storage microcapsules

A series of heat energy storage microcapsules was prepared using melamine-formaldehyde resin as the shell material and the mechanical properties of the shell were investigated. A phase change material whose melting point was 24 °C was used as core and the quantity of heat involved in phase transition was 225.5 J/g. Average diameter of the microcapsules varied from 5 to 10 μm, and the globular surface was smooth and compact. The mechanical properties of the shell were evaluated by observing the surface morphological structure change after application of pressure by means of scanning electron microscopy. When the mass ratio of the core and shell material is 3:1, a yield point of about 1.1×10⁵ Pa was found and when the compression was increased beyond this point the microcapsules showed plastic behavior. This has been attributed to the cross-link density and to the high degree of reaction of the shell material. Different yield points subsequently reflected differences in the mechanical behavior. It was also found that the mechanical intensity of double-shell microcapsules was better than that of single shelled ones.     

Formation of microcapsules from polyelectrolyte and covalent interactions

A new approach combining electrostatic and covalent bonds was established for the formation of resistant capsules with long-term stability under physiological conditions. Three kinds of interactions were generated in the same membrane: (1) electrostatic bonds between alginate and poly-L-lysine (PLL), (2) covalent bonds (amides) between propylene-glycol-alginate (PGA) and PLL, and (3) covalent bonds (amides) between BSA and PGA. Down-scaling of the capsules size (< or =1 mm diameter) with a jet break-up technology was achieved by modifying the rheological properties of the polymer solution. Viscosity of the PGA solution was reduced by 95% with four successive pH stabilizations (pH 7), while filtration (0.2 microm) and sterilization was possible. Covalent bond formation was initiated by addition of NaOH (pH 11) using a transacylation reaction. Kinetics of the chemical reaction (pH 11) were simulated by two mathematical models and adapted in order to preserve immobilization of animal cells. It was demonstrated that diffusion of NaOH in the absence of BSA resulted in gelation of 94% of the bead and death of 94% of the cells after 10 s reaction. By addition of BSA only 46% of the cells were killed within the same reaction time (10 s). Mechanical resistance of this new type of capsule could be increased 5-fold over the standard polyelectrolytic system (PLL-alginate). Encapsulated CHO cells were successfully cultivated for 1 month in a repetitive batch mode, with the mechanical resistance of the capsules decreasing by only 10% during this period. The combination of a synthetic and natural protein resulted in enhanced stability toward culture medium and proteolytic enzymes (250%).     

Mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte-filled multilayer microcapsules studied by atomic force and confocal microscopy

By using a combination of atomic force and confocal microscopy, we explore the deformation properties of multilayer microcapsules filled with a solution of strong polyelectrolyte. Encapsulation of polyelectrolyte was performed by regulation of the multilayer shell permeability in water-acetone solutions. The "filled"capsules prepared by this method were found to be stiffer than "hollow" ones, which reflects the contribution of the excess osmotic pressure to the capsule stiffness. The force-deformation curves contain three distinct regimes of reversible, partially reversible, and irreversible deformations depending on the degree of compression. The analysis of the shape of compressed capsules and of the inner polyelectrolyte spacial distribution allowed one to relate the deformation regimes to the permeability of the multilayer shells for water and inner polyelectrolyte at different stage of compression.     

Internal structure of polyelectrolyte multilayer assemblies

The paper deals with the correlation between the internal structure and dynamics of polyelectrolyte multilayers on one hand and their functional properties on the other hand. It considers different concepts of multilayer formation like driving forces, adsorption kinetics, mode of growth and stability aspects. A further focus is the control of internal structure and dynamics which is of high impact with respect to the design of stimuli-responsive material.     

Salt softening of polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules

The changes in the morphology and the mechanical properties of hollow polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules made from poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) in response to added salt were investigated. We found that capsules shrink in response to salt exposure. The effect depends strongly on the nature of the salt added and follows trends of the Hoffmeister series, with weakly hydrated cations inducing the strongest shrinking. For NaCl, we have investigated additional effects on capsule mechanical properties that are occurring above a 3 M salt concentration and we found that the morphological changes are accompanied by a pronounced softening of the capsule wall material, which we can quantify by analyzing the force response of capsules in the prebuckling regime. This shows that salts can act as plasticizers in the multilayers and induce annealing effects.