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Asymmetry-Enhanced Motion of Urease-Powered Micromotors from Double Emulsion-Templated Microcapsules.
Jessica Ann O'Callaghan1, Daeyeon Lee1, Daniel A Hammer1,2
1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 30, 2023
Summary
Enzyme-powered microcapsules engineered using microfluidics exhibit autonomous motion. Surface functionalization and roughness significantly enhance urease-driven propulsion, paving the way for advanced protocell engineering and biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Enzyme-powered motors are crucial for drug delivery and cell engineering but often lack biological features.
- Existing systems commonly rely on bubble propulsion and lack defined boundaries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer cell-sized microcapsules with autonomous motion using the enzyme urease.
- To investigate the impact of surface functionalization and roughness on microcapsule propulsion.
Main Methods:
- Utilized droplet microfluidics to create poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microcapsules.
- Functionalized microcapsule surfaces with urease using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) surfactants.
- Tuned surface roughness by incorporating silica nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) increased urease grafting density on smooth microcapsules, enabling motion in urea.
- Rough microcapsules with PEMA exhibited up to three times faster motion than smooth ones.
- Asymmetric urease distribution on rough surfaces likely caused directed motion.
Conclusions:
- Surface properties critically influence enzyme-driven motion in microfluidically prepared microcapsules.
- This work offers insights for creating motile protocells for biomedical applications.
- Microfluidics is a powerful tool for engineering active microscale systems.
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