Abstract
In pH-responsive drug carriers, the distribution of charges has been proven to affect delivery efficiency but is difficult to control and verify. Herein, we fabricate polyampholyte nanogel-in-microgel colloids (NiM-C) and show that the arrangement of the nanogels (NG) can easily be manipulated by adapting synthesis conditions. Positively and negatively charged pH-responsive NG are synthesized by precipitation polymerization and labelled with different fluorescent dyes. The obtained NG are integrated into microgel (MG) networks by subsequent inverse emulsion polymerization in droplet-based microfluidics. By confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), we verify that depending on NG concentration, pH value and ionic strength, NiM-C with different NG arrangements are obtained, including Janus-like phase-separation of NG, statistical distribution of NG, and core-shell arrangements. Our approach is a major step towards uptake and release of oppositely charged (drug) molecules.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e202304908 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Angewandte Chemie-International Edition |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 36 |
Early online date | 1 Jul 2023 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 4 Sept 2023 |
Keywords
- Colloids
- Cooperative Effects
- Janus-like Phase-Separation
- Polyampholyte
- Responsive Materials
- INDUCED PHASE-SEPARATION
- DRUG-DELIVERY
- IONIC-STRENGTH
- RESPONSIVE MICROGELS
- FUNCTIONAL MICROGELS
- CONTROLLED-RELEASE
- N-ISOPROPYLACRYLAMIDE
- PH
- TEMPERATURE
- MICROPARTICLES