@article {17546, title = {Multifunctional Compartmentalized Capsules with a Hierarchical Organization from the Nano to the Macro Scales}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {14}, year = {2013}, month = {2013-05-21 00:00:00}, pages = {2403-2410}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, abstract = {

Inspired by the cells{\textquoteright} structure, we present compartmentalized capsules with\ temperature and magnetic-based responsiveness, and hierarchical organization ranging from the\ nano- to the visible scales. Liquefied alginate macroscopic beads coated with a layer-by-layer\ (LbL) chitosan/alginate shell served as containers both for model fluorophores and\ microcapsules, which in their turn encapsulated either another fluorophore or magnetic
nanoparticles (MNPs). The microcapsules were coated with a temperature responsive\ chitosan/elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) nanostructured shell. By varying the temperature from\ 25 {\textordmasculine}C to 37 {\textordmasculine}C, the two-hour release of rhodamine encapsulated within the microcapsules and its\ diffusion through the external compartment decreased from 84\% and 71\%. The devices could\ withstand handling and centrifugal stress, with 50\% remaining intact at a rotation speed of\ 2000g. MNPs attributed magnetic responsiveness towards external magnetic fields. Such\ customizable system can be envisaged to transport bioactive agents and cells in tissue
engineering applications.

}, keywords = {Compartments, Hierarchical organization, magnetic properties, Multilayers, Polymers}, doi = {10.1021/bm400527y}, url = {http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bm400527y}, author = {Costa, R. R. and Castro-Otero, E. and Arias, F. J. and Rodr{\'\i}guez-Cabello, J. C. and Mano, J. F.} }