Microfluidic assembly of Janus-like dimer capsules
| Autor: | Srinivasa R. Raghavan, Don L. DeVoe, Kunqiang Jiang, Annie Xi Lu |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
Coalescence (physics)
Fusion Materials science Dimer Microfluidics Nanotechnology Janus particles Surfaces and Interfaces Condensed Matter Physics Paramagnetism chemistry.chemical_compound chemistry Chemical physics Electrochemistry General Materials Science Janus human activities Spectroscopy Microscale chemistry |
| Zdroj: | Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. 29(44) |
| ISSN: | 1520-5827 |
| Popis: | We describe the microfluidic assembly of soft dimer capsules by the fusion of individual capsules with distinct properties. Microscale aqueous droplets bearing the biopolymer chitosan are generated in situ within a chip and, as they travel downsteam, pairs of droplets are made to undergo controlled cross-linking and coalescence (due to a channel expansion) to form stable dimers. These dimers are very much like Janus particles: the size, shape, and functionality of each individual lobe within the dimer can be precisely controlled. Dimers with one lobe much shorter than the other resemble a bowling pin in their overall morphology, while dimers with nearly equal-sized lobes are akin to a snowman. To illustrate the diverse functionalities possible, we have prepared dimers wherein one lobe encapsulates paramagnetic Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The resulting dimers undergo controlled rotation in an external rotating magnetic field, much like a magnetic stir bar. The overall approach described here is simple and versatile: it can be easily adapted in numerous ways to produce soft structures with designed properties. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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