Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.31, No.23, 2041-2046, 2010
Anisotropic Micro- and Nano-Capsules
In this work, we introduce anisotropically shaped, ultrathin micro- and nano-capsules fabricated by layer-by-layer approach. The original cubic and tetrahedral shapes of the template particles were replicated to produce hollow capsules with well-defined edges. Introducing tannic acid as a component of LbL shells resulted in enhanced chemical stability of these hollow polymer structures under a wide pH range due to high pK(a) value. Computational studies demonstrated increased mechanical stability of the anisotropic capsules under osmotic pressure variation due to sharp edges and vertices acting as a reinforcing frame in contrast to spherical microcapsules that undergo random buckling.