Frozen cyclohexane-in-water emulsion as a sacrificial template for the synthesis of multilayered polyelectrolyte
Sachin Khapli1, Jin Ryoun Kim, Jin Kim Montclare
1Center for Co-operative Bioactive Systems, Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-POLY), 6 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA. skhapli@duke.poly.edu
Abstract:
This paper reports the application of frozen cyclohexane-in-water emulsions as sacrificial templates for the fabrication of hollow microcapsules through layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes, poly(styrenesulfonate sodium salt), and poly(allylamine hydrochloride). Extraction of the cyclohexane phase from frozen emulsions stabilized with 11 polyelectrolyte layers by compatibilization with 30% v/v ethanol leads to the formation of water-filled microcapsules while preserving the spherical geometry. The majority of microcapsules (>90%) are prepared with intact polyelectrolyte membranes as measured by their deformation induced by osmotic pressure. This work provides a new route for the synthesis of hollow multilayered microcapsules under mild operating conditions.
