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

胶囊是一种液滴或气泡，其外表面吸附有分子或纳米颗粒，这赋予了它们独特的机械性能。胶囊用于各种产品，包括药物输送配方、化妆品、油漆、油墨和食品。该项目将研究在精确控制的条件下，纳米颗粒在胶囊表面的分布如何影响胶囊界面的弹性和胶囊作为一个整体的变形。这项研究的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，用于广泛的专业产品。该项目的成果还将用于开发教育模块，以吸引K-12学生和大学本科生和研究生的课程内容。微流控装置将用于吸附阳离子表面活性剂-纳米颗粒复合物到气泡的界面上，当它沿着微通道转换时。实验的目的是展示吸附纳米颗粒复合物的浓度及其沿气泡表面的空间分布如何影响胶囊界面的性质，特别是其弹性，这将通过电子显微镜等方法来确定。胶囊界面的动力学特性将使用卡内基梅隆大学开发的微张力计进行研究。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率联系起来。最后，将利用平行微流控通道和复杂微流控电路，研究胶囊生产的规模，以获得足够数量的胶囊，用于胶囊悬浮液的流变测量。这些研究的结果将通过在卡耐基梅隆大学举办的讲习班和短期课程直接散发给工业对口人员。

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.