MICROPHASIC MICRO-COMPONENTS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING MORPHOLOGY VIA ELECTRIFIED JETTING
First Claim
1. A method of controlling the morphology of a multiphasic micro-component comprising:
- providing a first liquid stream having a first electrical conductivity comprising a first polyelectrolyte and a second liquid stream having a second electrical conductivity comprising a second polyelectrolyte, wherein said first electrical conductivity and said second electrical conductivity are selected to create a predetermined phase orientation in a solid micro-component; and
exposing at least a portion of said first liquid stream and at least a portion of said second stream to an electric force field sufficient to form the solid micro-component comprising a first phase and a second distinct phase, wherein said first phase comprises material from said first liquid stream and said second phase comprises material from said second liquid stream, such that said first phase and said second phase are compositionally distinct from one another and the predetermined phase orientation in the solid micro-component is formed.
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Abstract
The disclosure provides methods for preparation of multiphasic micro-components, such as core-shell or anisotropic (e.g., Janus) multiphasic particles with well-defined structures using electrohydrodynamic co-jetting of two polymer solutions containing polyelectrolytes. Suitable polyelectrolytes include polyacrylic acid (PAA), poly(acrylamide acrylic acid (PAAm), and/or poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) (PAAm-AA), sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS), polyethylene imine (PEI), polypeptides, copolymers, and combinations of these. Control of certain variables, such as relative conductivities of the two jetting solutions, controls the particle morphologies formed, leading to a predetermined phase orientation for the same polymer system. In certain aspects, after cross-linking, core-shell particles are stable in aqueous solutions and exhibit reproducible swelling behavior, while maintaining the original core-shell geometry. In addition, micro-components formed in accordance with the present teachings are pH-responsive based on external environmental pH. Thus, such micro-components are useful for a variety of different applications, including micro- and nano-active ingredient delivery systems.
45 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the morphology of a multiphasic micro-component comprising:
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providing a first liquid stream having a first electrical conductivity comprising a first polyelectrolyte and a second liquid stream having a second electrical conductivity comprising a second polyelectrolyte, wherein said first electrical conductivity and said second electrical conductivity are selected to create a predetermined phase orientation in a solid micro-component; and exposing at least a portion of said first liquid stream and at least a portion of said second stream to an electric force field sufficient to form the solid micro-component comprising a first phase and a second distinct phase, wherein said first phase comprises material from said first liquid stream and said second phase comprises material from said second liquid stream, such that said first phase and said second phase are compositionally distinct from one another and the predetermined phase orientation in the solid micro-component is formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A multiphasic micro-component comprising:
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a first hydrophilic phase formed from a liquid stream comprising a first polyelectrolyte; a second hydrophilic phase formed from at least a portion of said core region formed from a distinct liquid stream comprising a second polyelectrolyte;
wherein said first hydrophilic phase and said second hydrophilic phase are compositionally distinct from one another, wherein at least one of said first phase and said second phase comprises an active ingredient. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A multiphasic core-shell micro-component comprising:
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a first phase defining a core region formed from a liquid stream comprising a first polyelectrolyte; a second phase defining a shell region externally surrounding at least a portion of said core region formed from a distinct liquid stream comprising a second polyelectrolyte;
wherein said first phase and said second phase are compositionally distinct from one another, wherein at least one of said first phase and said second phase comprises an active ingredient. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification