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Polymers
Special Issues
Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges
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Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2025 | Viewed by 10737

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Justyna Kozlowska

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Gagarina 7, 87-100 Torun, Poland
Interests: microparticles; nanoparticles; encapsulation techniques; controlled release; biopolymers; polymeric materials; biomaterials; composites; cosmetic chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yanlin Zhang

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Guest Editor
1. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
2. School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Interests: analytical science; separation science; materials science; micropolymer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to invite you to contribute to a Special Issue concerning Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges.

This Special Issue will focus on novel advances in the fabrication and applications of polymer microspheres, especially in terms of their biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and catalysis elements. In these fields, scientists are particularly interested in the fabrication techniques of polymeric microspheres, standard and functional microspheres for diagnostics and biomedical applications, microencapsulation techniques for the targeted delivery and controlled release of therapeutic agents, stabilized cosmetic active molecules, catalysis, solid phase extraction materials, and the novel stationary phase in liquid and gas phase separation. Polymer microspheres composed of natural and synthetic polymers can be functionalized for diagnostic and analytical purposes, they can encapsulate anticancer drugs, among other therapeutic elements, acting as drug carriers to release the drugs at controlled rates over long periods. In cosmetics, many active compounds, such as vitamins, oils, proteins, enzymes, and plant extracts, can be encapsulated in microparticulate delivery systems to achieve improved stability, controlled release, and bioavailability in skin delivery. Thus, microencapsulation enables the development of products with improved features that allow for the personalization of products. Microspheres are also valuable in regard to bone and tissue regeneration. The number of papers on polymer microspheres has risen quickly over the last few years, making this an exciting and promising area of science. On the other hand, there are still numerous challenges associated with the manufacturing of special microspheres and microencapsulation of active agents; therefore, scientists and R&D engineers must make use of appropriate materials and techniques to reach these purposes.

We are pleased to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full research articles and comprehensive review articles are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Justyna Kozlowska
Dr. Yanlin Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microspheres fabrication techniques

  • standard microspheres for flow cytometry
  • functionalized microspheres
  • microencapsulation
  • physical and chemical modification of polymer microspheres
  • microspheres for diagnostics
  • microspheres for medical research
  • drug delivery system
  • biomedical applications
  • cosmetic applications
  • microspheres as novel solid phase extractants
  • microspheres as novel stationary phase in separation processes
  • microsphere-based biosensors
  • others

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 5566 KiB  
Article
Protective Encapsulation of a Bioactive Compound in Starch–Polyethylene Glycol-Modified Microparticles: Degradation Analysis with Enzymes
by Karen Sofia Valenzuela Villela, Karen Valeria Alvarado Araujo, Perla Elvia Garcia Casillas and Christian Chapa González
Polymers 2024, 16(14), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16142075 - 20 Jul 2024
Viewed by 806
Abstract
Starch is a promising polymer for creating novel microparticulate systems with superior biocompatibility and controlled drug delivery capabilities. In this study, we synthesized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified starch microparticles and encapsulated folic acid using a solvent-mediated acid-base precipitation method with magnetic stirring, which is [...] Read more.
Starch is a promising polymer for creating novel microparticulate systems with superior biocompatibility and controlled drug delivery capabilities. In this study, we synthesized polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified starch microparticles and encapsulated folic acid using a solvent-mediated acid-base precipitation method with magnetic stirring, which is a simple and effective method. To evaluate particle degradation, we simulated physiological conditions by employing an enzymatic degradation approach. Our results with FTIR and SEM confirmed the successful synthesis of starch–PEG microparticles encapsulating folic acid. The average size of starch microparticles encapsulating folic acid was 4.97 μm and increased to 6.01 μm upon modification with PEG. The microparticles were first exposed to amylase at pH 6.7 and pepsin at pH 1.5 at different incubation times at physiological temperature with shaking. Post-degradation analysis revealed changes in particle size and morphology, indicating effective enzymatic degradation. FTIR spectroscopy was used to assess the chemical composition before and after degradation. The initial FTIR spectra displayed characteristic peaks of starch, PEG, and folic acid, which showed decreased intensities after enzymatic degradation, suggesting alterations in chemical composition. These findings demonstrate the ongoing development of starch–PEG microparticles for controlled drug delivery and other biomedical applications and provide the basis for further exploration of PEG–starch as a versatile biomaterial for encapsulating bioactive compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges)
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17 pages, 3826 KiB  
Article
A Methodology for Multivariate Investigation on the Effect of Acrylate Molecular Structure on the Mechanical Properties and Delivery Efficiency of Microcapsules via In Situ Polymerization
by Mattia Collu, Edoardo Rossi, Marta Giamberini, Marco Sebastiani, Rita Del Pezzo, Johan Smets and Edoardo Bemporad
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4158; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204158 - 19 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1455
Abstract
In the field of encapsulation, microcapsules containing perfume have emerged as effective vehicles for delivering active ingredients across various applications. The present study employed a multivariate analysis framework to examine polyacrylate microcapsules for household products synthesized using different acrylate monomers. The advanced multivariate [...] Read more.
In the field of encapsulation, microcapsules containing perfume have emerged as effective vehicles for delivering active ingredients across various applications. The present study employed a multivariate analysis framework to examine polyacrylate microcapsules for household products synthesized using different acrylate monomers. The advanced multivariate approach allowed us to quantify critical properties such as the Molecular Weight between Cross-links (MWc), mechanical attributes, Encapsulation Efficiency (EE), and On-Fabric delivery. It is worth noting that the mechanical properties were gauged using a novel nanoindentation technique, which measures the Rupture Force per unit diameter (RFD). Both Encapsulation Efficiency and On-Fabric delivery were assessed using GC-MS. Our findings identified the optimal microcapsule system as one synthesized with 100% aromatic hexafunctional urethane acrylate, showcasing a 94.3% Encapsulation Efficiency and an optimal RFD of 85 N/mm. This system achieved an exemplary On-Fabric delivery rate of 307.5 nmol/L. In summary, this research provides crucial insights for customizing microcapsule design to achieve peak delivery efficiency. Furthermore, by designing acrylic monomers appropriately, there is potential to reduce the amount of active ingredients used, owing to enhanced delivery efficiency and the optimization of other microcapsule properties. Such advancements pave the way for more environmentally friendly and sustainable production processes in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges)
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22 pages, 11744 KiB  
Article
Polymer Nanoparticles Applied in the CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) Process of Chip Wafers for Defect Improvement and Polishing Removal Rate Response
by Wei-Lan Chiu and Ching-I Huang
Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3198; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153198 - 27 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4880
Abstract
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a wafer-surface-polishing planarization technique based on a wet procedure that combines chemical and mechanical forces to fully flatten materials for semiconductors to be mounted on the wafer surface. The achievement of devices of a small nano-size with few [...] Read more.
Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a wafer-surface-polishing planarization technique based on a wet procedure that combines chemical and mechanical forces to fully flatten materials for semiconductors to be mounted on the wafer surface. The achievement of devices of a small nano-size with few defects and good wafer yields is essential in enabling IC chip manufacturers to enhance their profits and become more competitive. The CMP process is applied to produce many IC generations of nanometer node, or those of even narrower line widths, for a better performance and manufacturing feasibility. Slurry is a necessary supply for CMP. The most critical component in slurry is an abrasive particle which affects the removal rates, uniformity, defects, and removal selectivity for the materials on the wafer surface. The polishing abrasive is the source of mechanical force. Conventional CMP abrasives consist of colloidal silica, fume silica or other inorganic polishing particles in the slurries. We were the first to systematically study nanoparticles of the polymer type applied in CMP, and to compare traditional inorganic and polymer nanoparticles in terms of polishing performance. In particular, the polymer nanoparticle size, shape, solid content dosing ratio, and molecular types were examined. The polishing performance was measured for the polishing removal rates, total defect counts, and uniformity. We found that the polymer nanoparticles significantly improved the total defect counts and uniformity, although the removal rates were lower than the rates obtained using inorganic nanoparticles. However, the lower removal rates of the polymer nanoparticles are acceptable due to the thinner film materials used for smaller IC device nodes, which may be below 10 nm. We also found that the physical properties of polymer nanoparticles, in terms of their size, shape, and different types of copolymer molecules, cause differences in the polishing performance. Meanwhile, we used statistical analysis software to analyze the data on the polishing removal rates and defect counts. This method helps to determine the most suitable polymer nanoparticle for use as a slurry abrasive, and improves the reliability trends for defect counts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges)
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14 pages, 5995 KiB  
Article
Stability Studies, Biodegradation Tests, and Mechanical Properties of Sodium Alginate and Gellan Gum Beads Containing Surfactant
by Natalia Stachowiak, Jolanta Kowalonek, Justyna Kozlowska and Aleksandra Burkowska-But
Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2568; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112568 - 2 Jun 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2927
Abstract
The excessive presence of single-use plastics is rapidly degrading our natural environment on a global scale due to their inherent resistance to decomposition. Wet wipes used for personal or household purposes contribute significantly to the accumulation of plastic waste. One potential solution to [...] Read more.
The excessive presence of single-use plastics is rapidly degrading our natural environment on a global scale due to their inherent resistance to decomposition. Wet wipes used for personal or household purposes contribute significantly to the accumulation of plastic waste. One potential solution to address this problem involves developing eco-friendly materials that possess the ability to degrade naturally while retaining their washing capabilities. For this purpose, the beads from sodium alginate, gellan gum, and a mixture of these natural polymers containing surfactant were produced using the ionotropic gelation method. Stability studies of the beads by observing their appearance and diameter were performed after incubation in solutions of different pH values. The images showed that macroparticles were reduced in size in an acidic medium and swelled in solution of pH-neutral phosphate-buffered saline. Moreover, all the beads first swelled and then degraded in alkaline conditions. The beads based on gellan gum and combining both polymers were the least sensitive to pH changes. The compression tests revealed that the stiffness of all macroparticles decreased with the increasing pH of the solutions in which they were immersed. The studied beads were more rigid in an acidic solution than in alkaline conditions. The biodegradation of macroparticles was assessed using a respirometric method in soil and seawater. It is important to note that the macroparticles degraded more rapidly in soil than in seawater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Microspheres—Current Development, Application and Future Challenges)
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