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 polyelectrolyte and said second polyelectrolyte are independently selected from the group consisting of;
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 thereof, 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 so that said first phase is hydrophilic and said second phase comprises material from said second liquid stream so that said second phase is hydrophilic, such that said first phase and said second phase are compositionally distinct from one another;
applying energy to cure said first polyelectrolyte and said second polyelectrolyte, so that the predetermined phase orientation in the solid micro-component is formed and the solid micro-component comprises a cross-linked first hydrophilic phase and a second cross-linked hydrophilic phase.
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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.
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Citations
21 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 polyelectrolyte and said second polyelectrolyte are independently selected from the group consisting of;
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 thereof, wherein said first electrical conductivity and said second electrical conductivity are selected to create a predetermined phase orientation in a solid micro-component; andexposing 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 so that said first phase is hydrophilic and said second phase comprises material from said second liquid stream so that said second phase is hydrophilic, such that said first phase and said second phase are compositionally distinct from one another; applying energy to cure said first polyelectrolyte and said second polyelectrolyte, so that the predetermined phase orientation in the solid micro-component is formed and the solid micro-component comprises a cross-linked first hydrophilic phase and a second cross-linked hydrophilic phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. 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 a distinct liquid stream comprising a second polyelectrolyte;
wherein said first hydrophilic phase and said second hydrophilic phase are compositionally distinct from one another and are respectively cross-linked, wherein at least one of said first phase and said second phase comprises an active ingredient and said first phase has a first exposed surface and said second phase has a second exposed surface, so that said the multi-phasic micro-component has an anisotropic morphology. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A multiphasic core-shell micro-component comprising:
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a first cross-linked phase defining a core region formed from a liquid stream comprising a first polyelectrolyte that comprises polyacrylic acid (PAA); a second cross-linked 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 that comprises poly(acryl amide-co-acrylic acid) (PAAm-AA);
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 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. 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 a distinct liquid stream comprising a second polyelectrolyte;
wherein said first polyelectrolyte and said second polyelectrolyte are independently selected from the group consisting of;
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 thereof and wherein said first hydrophilic phase and said second hydrophilic phase are compositionally distinct from one another and are respectively cross-linked, wherein at least one of said first phase and said second phase comprises an active ingredient. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification