Bioinspired Layer-by-Layer Microcapsules Based on Cellulose Nanofibers with Switchable Permeability

Thomas Paulraj, Anastasia V Riazanova, Kun Yao, Richard L Andersson, Anette Müllertz, Anna J Svagan

    19 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Green, all-polysaccharide based microcapsules with mechanically robust capsule walls and fast, stimuli-triggered, and switchable permeability behavior show great promise in applications based on selective and timed permeability. Taking a cue from nature, the build-up and composition of plant primary cell walls inspired the capsule wall assembly, because the primary cell walls in plants exhibit high mechanical properties despite being in a highly hydrated state, primarily owing to cellulose microfibrils. The microcapsules (16 ± 4 μm in diameter) were fabricated using the layer-by-layer technique on sacrificial CaCO3 templates, using plant polysaccharides (pectin, cellulose nanofibers, and xyloglucan) only. In water, the capsule wall was permeable to labeled dextrans with a hydrodynamic diameter of ∼6.6 nm. Upon exposure to NaCl, the porosity of the capsule wall quickly changed allowing larger molecules (∼12 nm) to permeate. However, the porosity could be restored to its original state by removal of NaCl, by which permeants became trapped inside the capsule's core. The high integrity of cell wall was due to the CNF and the ON/OFF alteration of the permeability properties, and subsequent loading/unloading of molecules, could be repeated several times with the same capsule demonstrating a robust microcontainer with controllable permeability properties.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalBiomacromolecules
    Volume18
    Issue number4
    Pages (from-to)1401-1410
    Number of pages10
    ISSN1525-7797
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 10 Apr 2017

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