Inorganic/Organic Multilayer Capsule Composition for Improved Functionality and External Triggering

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte (PE) and nanocomposite (NC) microcapsules fabricated by layer‐by‐layer technique have been of great interest in the past decade as novel entities for cargo encapsulation and delivery as well as for diagnostic purposes. The unique physicochemical properties of polymers and inorganic nanoparticles used in layer‐by‐layer synthesis of PE and NC microcapsules make them promising in various fields, such as storage, catalysis, cells imaging, controlled drug release, and targeted drug delivery. However, the requirement of the cargo encapsulation is that the cargo should have a relatively large molecular weight in order to avoid the leakage from the capsules. In this review, recent progress in the design and functionalization of PE and NC microcapsules using sol–gel method for storage of small cargos have been presented. Moreover, various remote exposures on the permeability of organic/inorganic composite microcapsule shells such as ultrasound, magnetic field gradient, laser, and microwave radiation have been observed. Finally, the description and discussion of the new trends and perspectives for improved functionality of PE microcapsules are the major topic of this progress report.

Cell‐Based Drug Delivery and Use of Nano‐and Microcarriers for Cell Functionalization

“…Many recent studies have investigated the internalization process of LbL polyelectrolyte microcapsules in different cell types . LbL microcapsules have great potential in cell functionalization compared with nanoparticles alone because of the unique properties of LbL microcapsules, such as multiencapsulation capacity and controlled release of low or high molecular weight compounds in response to various external and internal stimuli . LbL capsules can serve as a platform for in situ deposition of various inorganic nanoparticles, resulting in the formation of a composite shell with enhanced physicochemical properties .…”

Photoacoustic and fluorescent effects in multilayer plasmon‐dye interfaces

“…Integrating these discoveries with the recent developments of advanced nanocomposite structures, used before mostly in drug delivery , affords new PA‐ and PT‐active structures with controllable fluorescence. Fluorescent modality can be used to verify the results of PA measurements and to examine biodistribution of novel contrast agents in vivo .…”

Dual Template Engaged Synthesis of Hollow Ball‐in‐Tube Asymmetrical Structured Ceria

“…Hollow structured inorganic materials have been studied extensively, due to their unique structural features in terms of low density and high surface area, which identify opportunities for various applications, such as energy storage, catalysts, and fuel cells. [1][2][3][4][5][6] From the perspective of structural complexity, most hollow nanomaterials studied so far exhibit relatively simple configurations, such as single-shell hollow spheres or tubes. The design and fabrication of hollow materials with higher complexity are now being explored, e.g.…”

“…In addition to conventional hard-templates, sacrificial templates were also used to achieve complex hollow structures where they act as physical scaffolds and also participate in the chemical reaction for shell formation. For example, double wall Cu 7 S 4 nanotubes were synthesized by using Cu(OH) 2 nanorods as sacrificial templates. [17] The process involved the repeated formation of the Cu 7 S 4 wall by reacting Cu(OH) 2 with Na 2 S, and partial/complete dissolution of the Cu(OH) 2 core by ammonia solution for the first/ second cycles.…”

“…For example, double wall Cu 7 S 4 nanotubes were synthesized by using Cu(OH) 2 nanorods as sacrificial templates. [17] The process involved the repeated formation of the Cu 7 S 4 wall by reacting Cu(OH) 2 with Na 2 S, and partial/complete dissolution of the Cu(OH) 2 core by ammonia solution for the first/ second cycles. Despite the progress achieved to date toward the fabrication of hollow materials with high complexity, most of the multishelled hollow structures were constructed with relatively symmetrical configurations, such as hollow ball-inball, [4,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]18,19] and tube-in-tube.…”