Hollow Polycaprolactone Microspheres with/without a Single Surface Hole by Co-Electrospraying

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Co-electrospraying is a versatile technique for fabricating micro/nanoparticles.
• Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with numerous biomedical applications.
• Controlling the morphology of hollow microspheres is crucial for targeted delivery and controlled release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the co-electrospraying of hollow polycaprolactone (PCL) microspheres with various core solutions.
• To characterize the morphology and structure of the resulting microspheres.
• To explore the influence of core/shell solution miscibility and collector type on microsphere formation.

Main Methods:

• Co-electrospraying of PCL shell solutions with water, cyclohexane, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) core solutions.
• Utilized different collectors, including an ethanol bath and a copper wire.
• Characterization techniques included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, and nano-X-ray computed tomography (nano-XCT).

Main Results:

• Microsphere morphology was significantly influenced by the miscibility of core and shell solutions.
• Using an ethanol bath as a collector resulted in hollow PCL microspheres with a single surface hole.
• A 3D tubular structure of hollow PCL microspheres was assembled on a copper wire collector.

Conclusions:

• Solution miscibility is a key factor in achieving desired microsphere structures during co-electrospraying.
• The ethanol-assisted mechanism facilitates the formation of single-hole hollow microspheres.
• Co-electrospraying offers a method for fabricating complex 3D structures from hollow microspheres.