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DDC: 540 × Publisher: Cambridge : RSC × Subject: Biomedical applications × WGL Institute: DWI ×

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    Cargo shuttling by electrochemical switching of core–shell microgels obtained by a facile one-shot polymerization
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2019) Mergel, Olga; Schneider, Sabine; Tiwari, Rahul; Kühn, Philipp T.; Keskin, Damla; Stuart, Marc C. A.; Schöttner, Sebastian; de Kanter, Martinus; Noyong, Michael; Caumanns, Tobias; Mayer, Joachim; Janzen, Christoph; Simon, Ulrich; Gallei, Markus; Wöll, Dominik; van Rijn, Patrick; Plamper, Felix A.
    Controlling and understanding the electrochemical properties of electroactive polymeric colloids is a highly topical but still a rather unexplored field of research. This is especially true when considering more complex particle architectures like stimuli-responsive microgels, which would entail different kinetic constraints for charge transport within one particle. We synthesize and electrochemically address dual stimuli responsive core-shell microgels, where the temperature-responsiveness modulates not only the internal structure, but also the microgel electroactivity both on an internal and on a global scale. In detail, a facile one-step precipitation polymerization results in architecturally advanced poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-vinylferrocene) P(NIPAM-co-VFc) microgels with a ferrocene (Fc)-enriched (collapsed/hard) core and a NIPAM-rich shell. While the remaining Fc units in the shell are electrochemically accessible, the electrochemical activity of Fc in the core is limited due to the restricted mobility of redox active sites and therefore restricted electron transfer in the compact core domain. Still, prolonged electrochemical action and/or chemical oxidation enable a reversible adjustment of the internal microgel structure from core-shell microgels with a dense core to completely oxidized microgels with a highly swollen core and a denser corona. The combination of thermo-sensitive and redox-responsive units being part of the network allows for efficient amplification of the redox response on the overall microgel dimension, which is mainly governed by the shell. Further, it allows for an electrochemical switching of polarity (hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) of the microgel, enabling an electrochemically triggered uptake and release of active guest molecules. Hence, bactericidal drugs can be released to effectively kill bacteria. In addition, good biocompatibility of the microgels in cell tests suggests suitability of the new microgel system for future biomedical applications. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
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    Microfluidic fabrication of polyethylene glycol microgel capsules with tailored properties for the delivery of biomolecules
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2017) Guerzoni, Luis P. B.; Bohl, Jan; Jans, Alexander; Rose, Jonas C.; Koehler, Jens; Kuehne, Alexander J. C.; De Laporte, Laura
    Microfluidic encapsulation platforms have great potential not only in pharmaceutical applications but also in the consumer products industry. Droplet-based microfluidics is increasingly used for the production of monodisperse polymer microcapsules for biomedical applications. In this work, a microfluidic technique is developed for the fabrication of monodisperse double emulsion droplets, where the shell is crosslinked into microgel capsules. A six-armed acrylated star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide-stat-propylene oxide) pre-polymer is used to form the microgel shell after a photo-initiated crosslinking reaction. The synthesized microgel capsules are hollow, enabling direct encapsulation of large amounts of multiple biomolecules with the inner aqueous phase completely engulfed inside the double emulsion droplets. The shell thickness and overall microgel sizes can be controlled via the flow rates. The morphology and size of the shells are characterized by cryo-SEM. The encapsulation and retention of 10 kDa FITC-dextran and its microgel degradation mediated release are monitored by fluorescence microscopy. © 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.