초록 |
The programed release of multiple drugs is of great importance in disease treatment to maximize the efficacy of the drugs and to minimize side effect. Various structures of microcarriers, such as Janus and core-shell, have been designed by microfluidics and micromolding techniques to achieve the controlled release. However, it still remains challenge to fully control encapsulation and release of multiple drugs from single microcarriers. In this work, we use polymer phase separation in emulsion droplets to create smart microcarriers capable of encapsulation and controlled release of multiple ingredients. Two distinct polymers—biodegradable and pH-responsive polymer—are confined in monodisperse droplets in the presence of two distinct molecular ingredients. As solvent evaporated, the two polymers are separated, resulting in microparticles with distinct compartments. During the phase separation, two ingredients are also spontaneously concentrated in the compartments with higher affinity. Therefore, the two ingredients can be independently released upon either biodegradation or dissolution at a certain pH condition. |