Polymer microcapsules with a fiber-reinforced nanocomposite shell

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Food Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Controlled release systems are crucial in pharmaceuticals and food industries.
• Existing microcapsule technologies face limitations in mechanical stability and precise control.
• Layer-by-layer (LbL) adsorption is a versatile technique for fabricating microstructures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new type of microcapsule with tunable mechanical strength and permeability.
• To utilize common food-grade proteins and polysaccharides for microcapsule fabrication.
• To create a fiber-reinforced nanocomposite shell for enhanced stability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microcapsules using layer-by-layer (LbL) adsorption.
• Alternating deposition of pectin (polysaccharide) and whey protein fibrils.
• Characterization of microcapsule strength and permeability based on structural parameters.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced microcapsules with tunable strength and permeability.
• Developed a fiber-reinforced nanocomposite shell structure.
• Demonstrated superior mechanical stability compared to existing multilayer capsules.
• Method utilizes standard unit operations suitable for industrial scale-up.

Conclusions:

• LbL adsorption of pectin and whey protein fibrils offers a robust method for creating advanced microcapsules.
• Tunable mechanical properties and enhanced stability make these microcapsules promising for controlled release.
• The described fabrication process is scalable for industrial applications in food and drug delivery.