INS4-1322
Gas-bubble Encapsulating Microcapsules (GEMs): Pressure-Responsive Polymeric Carriers for Triggered Release
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
16:25 - 16:50
Room 106
Session Chairs
Yoon-Ho HWANG
Presenter(s)
Daeyeon Lee (University of Pennsylvania)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Microcapsules are widely used for encapsulating and delivering active materials, and imparting stimuli-responsiveness makes them especially effective for targeted delivery. Mechanically Activated Microcapsules (MAMCs) can release cargo under dynamic uniaxial loading; however, these are liquid-filled, which renders them largely insensitive to non-deviatoric stress. To overcome this limitation, we develop Gas-bubble Encapsulating Microcapsules (GEMs), a class of polymeric carriers that incorporate internal gas bubbles to introduce compressibility and enable pressure-triggered release. We precisely control the key structural features of GEMs using double emulsions generated via glass capillary microfluidics, followed by osmotic pressure–induced cavitation. By systematically subjecting GEMs to a range of hydrostatic pressures, we establish mechanistic relationships between capsule structure, rupture behavior, and cargo release kinetics. These results define fundamental design principles for engineering GEMs with programmable pressure-release thresholds. This platform is particularly suited for biomedical applications in which pressure-driven stimuli underlie pathology, such as traumatic brain injury, and more broadly demonstrates how structural design can translate stimuli-responsive polymer mechanics into functional delivery technologies.
