UNS: Synthesis and Dynamics of Elastic Capsules with Controlled Interfacial Elasticity

CBET - 1511016PI：Shelley L. Anna胶囊是外表面吸附有分子或纳米颗粒的液滴或气泡，这赋予了它们独特的机械性能。 胶囊用于多种产品，包括药物输送制剂、化妆品、油漆、油墨和食品。 该项目将研究纳米颗粒在胶囊表面的分布如何影响胶囊界面的弹性以及在精确控制的条件下胶囊整体的变形。 研究结果将为科学家和工程师提供信息，帮助他们优化胶囊配方，以用于各种专业产品。 该项目的结果还将用于开发吸引 K-12 学生的教育模块以及大学本科生和研究生的课程内容。当气泡沿微通道移动时，微流体装置将用于将阳离子表面活性剂-纳米颗粒复合物吸附到气泡的界面上。 该实验的目的是展示胶囊界面的特性，特别是其弹性，如何受到吸附的纳米颗粒复合物的浓度及其沿气泡表面的空间分布的影响，这将使用电子显微镜等方法确定。 将使用卡内基梅隆大学开发的微张力计研究胶囊界面的动态特性。 微张力计将用于测量胶囊的界面张力和界面弹性，并将其与表面活性剂-纳米颗粒复合物的界面覆盖度相关联。 最后，将通过使用并行微流体通道和复杂的微流体电路来研究扩大胶囊生产规模，以获得足够数量的胶囊用于胶囊悬浮液的流变学测量。 研究结果将通过卡内基梅隆大学举办的研讨会和短期课程直接传播给工业同行。

CBET - 1511016PI: Shelley L. AnnaCapsules are liquid drops or bubbles that have molecules or nanoparticles adsorbed onto their outer surfaces, which gives them unique mechanical properties. Capsules are used in a variety of products including drug delivery formulations, cosmetics, paints, inks, and foodstuffs. This project will investigate how the distribution of nanoparticles on the surface of a capsule affects the elasticity of the capsule interface and the deformation of the capsule as a whole under precisely controlled conditions. The results of the study will provide scientists and engineers with information that will help them optimize capsule formulations for use in a wide array of specialized products. Results from the project will also be used to develop educational modules to engage K-12 students and course content for university undergraduate and graduate students. A microfluidic device will be used to adsorb a cationic surfactant-nanoparticle complex onto the interface of a gaseous bubble as it translates along a microchannel. The goal of the experiment is to show how the properties of the capsule interface, especially its elasticity, are affected by the concentration of adsorbed nanoparticle complexes and their spatial distribution along the bubble surface, which will be determined using methods such as electron microscopy. Dynamical properties of the capsule interfaces will be investigated using a microtensiometer developed at Carnegie Mellon University. The microtensiometer will be used to measure interfacial tension and interfacial elasticity of the capsule and correlate it with interfacial coverage of the surfactant-nanoparticle complexes. Finally, scale-up of capsule production to obtain a sufficient number of capsules for rheological measurements of capsule suspensions will be investigated by using parallel microfluidic channels and complex microfluidic circuits. The results of the studies will be disseminated directly to industrial counterparts through workshops and short courses organized at Carnegie Mellon University.