Microfluidics-Assisted Polymer Vesicle Budding in Emulsion Systems: A Promising Approach for the Preparation and Application of Polymer Vesicles
Donghua Dong,
Jilai Zhan,
Guoxing Liao,
Tong Zhu,
Qianqian Yu,
Wei Zhang,
Linge Wang
Affiliations
Donghua Dong
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Jilai Zhan
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Guoxing Liao
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Tong Zhu
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Qianqian Yu
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Wei Zhang
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
Linge Wang
South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
The challenge of producing polymer vesicles remains difficult, despite numerous attempts to modulate the kinetics of polymer vesicle budding and achieve precise control over the membrane characteristics. An innovative approach that incorporates the use of copolymer-loaded single-emulsion droplets is proposed to address this challenge. This method enables the precise manipulation of micelles and polymer vesicles’ composition, structures and dimensions. The emulsion contracts and forms microspheres when the copolymer concentrations exceed > 0.5 wt%, resulting in the formation of nano polymer vesicles. Conversely, the copolymer spontaneously forms micro polymer vesicles and micelles through vesicle budding at lower concentrations. The spontaneous production of vesicles and micelles can be induced by modifying the copolymer concentration in the emulsion. Our discoveries have a significant impact relative to the development of copolymer membranes and contribute to an enhanced comprehension of the mass manufacturing of polymer vesicles from single emulsions.
