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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Microfluidic Fabrication of Core-Shell Microcapsules carrying Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids
Published on: October 13, 2021
pH-Dependent Switchable Permeability from Core-Shell Microcapsules
Joshua M Grolman1, Bora Inci2, Jeffrey S Moore3
1Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and §Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
Abstract:
We recently reported cationic cyclopolymerization of o-vinylbenzaldehydes initiated by boron trifluoride to generate acid-sensitive poly(o-(α-alkyl)vinylbenzaldehyde). Herein we report preparation of core-shell microcapsules (μCs) using flow-focusing microfluidic techniques with shells composed of poly(o-(α-methyl)vinylbenzaldehyde) (PMVB) that release their payload in response to dilute aqueous acid solution. Release profiles of encapsulated fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran from μCs are controlled by varying the proton concentration and shell-wall thickness. SEM studies indicate that the system's unique reversible release mechanism involves porosity changes in the shell wall due to microcrack formation.
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